Cardinal who branded gays 'sexual perverts' dies
Belgian Cardinal Gustaaf Joos, who derided lesbians and gays as “sexual perverts” died today, local church officials said.
The 81-year-old cardinal died at home at his parish. He fell ill after leading Mass Tuesday morning at a church in Landskouter, 27 north west of Brussels, which he led since 1970, the Ghent Bishopric said. It did not release information on the exact cause of death.
Joos, who was appointed cardinal last year, studied with Pope John Paul II before the latter became pontiff in Rome.
The cardinal gained notoriety earlier this year when he said in an interview he thought that up to 95% of homosexuals were “sexual perverts”.
Other leading Catholic leaders, including Belgium’s top cardinal, Archbishop Godfried Danneels, distanced themselves from his comments.
Joos made his comments in an interview on the state of Roman Catholicism in overwhelmingly Catholic Belgium, where gay marriages were legalised last year and same-sex couples may soon be allowed to adopt children.
