Background: Mercury, Dec 25:
However, the Catholic Archbishop of Hobart, the Most Reverend Adrian Doyle, hit back saying Pope Benedict had been misquoted and his speech made “no reference or gives any condemnation to the gay and lesbian community”. In a festive address to the Vatican’s governing body, the Curia, Pope Benedict was reported as saying that saving the world from homosexual behaviour was as important as saving the world’s rainforests. Read more here

Tasmanian Times: Julian Punch:
This message of hatred by the Pope will be used as an excuse for increased hate crime against same sex couples in every neighbourhood by those extreme neo fascist elements in the community that share the Popes same philosophy. Worse it will destroy any element of self worth and appreciation of God’s love by those born into this particular section of a sexually diverse creation. Not only will hate crime be encouraged but self- destruction and lack of self-esteem will be a primary product of this message of the Pope. Read more here

To Mercury, from David Chadwick
Dear Sir,
I read with amazement the comments of Archbishop the Most Reverend Adrian Doyle in yesterday’s Mercury (25.12.08) Archbishop Doyle stated that Pope Benedict XVI had “been misquoted” and had made “no reference to the gay and lesbian community”. Archbishop Doyle is wrong to suggest that the Pope has been misquoted the simple truth is that Pope Benedict did vilify the gay and lesbian community in his Christmas message to senior Vatican Clergy and it is not for the first time that the Pope has attacked the gay and lesbian community. The Pope was in fact speaking about so called “gender theory” when he spoke earlier thus week. The Pontiffs words were unambiguous he was not misquoted and to say so is disingenuous at best and a lie at worst.

The Pope’s Christmas message to senior Vatican clergy is not the first time that Pope Benedict / Cardinal Ratzinger has attacked the gay and lesbian community, frankly the Pope has form:

In 1986 in a letter to the Bishops of the Catholic Church on the Pastoral Care of “homosexual persons” Cardinal Ratzinger stated that homosexuality has a “strong tendency towards an intrinsic moral evil”. He returned to the subject again and again during his time has head of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith (formerly the Office of the Holy Inquisition) in this role he stated that “society at large should not be surprised when distorted notions and practices gain ground and irrational and violent reactions increase”. Easter 2006 saw the Pope returning once again to his pet subject, on this occasion the Pope attacked the idea that gays and lesbians could or should live as a family.

Pope Benedict should know all to well about violent reactions and evil growing up as he did in the Germany of the 1930’s. Could it be that growing up during the Hitler years has so shaped this Pope’s personality and worldview that he mistakenly associates gay and lesbians in the same light as the Nazi’s and the Hitler Youth, which he joined in the 1940’s?

In the light of the evidence against Pope Benedict XVI / Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger it is clear that Pope firmly believes that homosexual people are lesser persons in the eye of the Catholic Church and that homosexuality is an both sinful and evil. It is also clear that the Pope fully understands the physical attacks on homosexuals that occur as a result of homophobia which he articulates so well himself.

Adrian Doyle is wrong therefore to suggest that the Pope was misquoted he has spoken far too often for anyone to believe that hoary old excuse.

Yours truly,

David Chadwick

Lewisham 7173