Pope Francis’s opposition to plans to allow gay couples to adopt in Malta should come as no surprise, according to the LGBT Federation in his native Argentina.

The pontiff’s comments, which Auxiliary Bishop Charles Scicluna relayed to The Sunday Times of Malta, “clearly show the true position of Pope Francis with respect to sexual diversity”, the federation said.

The most painful fact is Pope Francis’s silence in view of the increasing persecution of homosexuals

“There is no will from Pope Francis to change the doctrinal position of the Catholic Church with respect to the family and the lack of recognition of gay or lesbian parents,” it added.

Bishop Scicluna told The Sunday Times of Malta that the Pope had urged him to speak out against adoption by same-sex couples when they met on December 12.

The comments have been widely reported around the world since Sunday, with the British Telegraph and Time magazine among many esteemed publications carrying articles on the issue.

In a statement to the media, the Argentina LGBT (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender) Federation said it rejected the interference of the Catholic Church’s hierarchy in secular civil rights that should be accessible to all citizens, “without any form of discrimination including sexual orientation and gender identity”.

Referring to marriage equality laws in Argentina, the federation recalled that in 2010, the Pope, in his previous position as Cardinal Jorge Bergoglio of Buenos Aires, had “undertaken a war in God’s name against what he considered a devil’s plan to destroy the Argentine society”.

Esteban Paulón, feder-ation president, said: “We don’t expect a change regarding the teachings on the family from the Vatican hierarchy.

“But the most painful fact is Pope Francis’s silence in view of the increasing penalisation and persecution of homosexuals around the world, especially in Asia, Africa and Eastern Europe.

“Unfortunately, there was not a single word from Pope Francis on India’s court decision to criminalise homosexuality, the restrictive law in Uganda and prohibition of homosexual propaganda in Russia.”

Pope Francis, who ascended to the papacy in March, has drawn attention for a reformist platform that includes a softer tone on issues like homosexuality. He was named Time’s Person of the Year this month and was on the cover of leading LGBT magazine The Advocate.

But the Church’s teachings have not changed and the Pope still opposes same-sex marriage and gay adoption, saying this year only that, “if a homosexual person is of goodwill and is in search of God, I am no one to judge”.

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