Vatican Complains Of ‘Persecution’ Over Anti Gay Position

A Vatican official has reportedly stated that the Catholic Church is being persecuted because of its position on homosexuality.

Pink News reports that Gerhard Ludwig Mueller made the comments in an interview with the German newspaper Die Welt. Mueller is an Archbishop as well as the Vatican’s head of doctrine. In the newspaper interview Mueller is alleged to have complained that critics of the Catholic Church are conducting a “concerted campaign” to discredit the religious organisation that is resulting in more open attacks against priests.

It is also reported that the Archbishop those attacking the Catholic Church are “borrowing” arguments from totalitarian ideologies such as Communism and Nazism in their attacks on Christianity.

In recent months the Vatican and Pope Benedict XVI have become increasingly vocal in their attacks on homosexuality, gay rights and especially gay marriage. The Catholic Church has vehemently opposed plans to introduce same-sex marriage to England & Wales and plans by the SNP administration in Scotland to introduce it north of the border.

In January the Vatican newspaper was critical of gay marriage and described equality campaigns as attempting to “build” a “communist” like “Utopia”. The Pope has previously described homosexuality as a “threat” to the future of humanity.

The Catholic Church’s stance on homosexuality, gay rights and gay marriage has resulted it coming under considerable fire from more liberal sections of Christianity, other faith groups and politicians. Critics of the Church argue it is out of step with society and is increasingly position itself as a “nasty” and “bigoted” organisation.