Elton John has praised Pope Francis and the Archbishop of Canterbury for softening attitudes to homosexuality and contraceptives.
The singer believes that it was ‘old and stupid’ that gay priests were refused equal rights and that the Catholic Church insisted on celibacy rule for clergy.
“If Jesus Christ was alive today, I cannot see him, as the Christian person that he was, and the great person that he was, saying this could not happen, “ the 67-year-old performer recently declared on Sky News.
“He was all about love and compassion and forgiveness and trying to bring people together and that is what the church should be about.”
Elton intends to marry David Furnish next year, and he made his remarks the day after the Pride In London gay celebrations. He praised the Archbishop of Canterbury,Justin Welby and the Pope for attempting to modernise their churches.
The singer-songwriter was 'excited' by the humanity shown by Pope Francis on the subjects of homosexuality and contraceptives. “He has taken everything down to the humility of faith, “ said Elton. “He’s stripped it down to the bare bones and said it’s all basically about love and inclusiveness. That has to be encouraged by the Church of England as well. “
His own marriage, he revealed, would be ‘very quiet and very off the cuff’.
