"I thought the Christmas angels said 'Fear not'. Instead, the Pope is spreading fear that gay people somehow threaten the planet. And that's just absurd. As always, this sort of religious homophobia will be an alibi for all those who would do gay people harm. Can't he think of something better to say at Christmas?"

Rev Dr Giles Fraser, Vicar of Putney and president of Inclusive Church reacting to Pope Benedict's latest attack on gays and sexual minorities, calling non-heterosexual relations "destruction of God's work,'' referring to a need for ''human ecology'' that recognizes the nature of humanity as man or woman, and saying ''The tropical forests do deserve our protection. But man, as a creature, does not deserve any less.'' (Telegraph.co.uk) (BBC)