Elton John has snapped back at Vatican officials for refusing to bless same-sex unions.
The leaders of the Catholic Church announced the ruling on Monday, as part of a two-page decree signed by Pope Francis, stating God "cannot bless sin", and the gay rocker was quick to respond.
Calling the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith statement a "hypocrisy", considering the church's financial investment in his 2019 biopic Rocketman, in which he comes out as a gay man, Elton tweeted: "How can the Vatican refuse to bless gay marriages because they 'are sin', yet happily make a profit from investing millions in 'Rocketman' - a film which celebrates my finding happiness from my marriage to (husband) David (Furnish)??"
The Vatican's Secretariat of State reportedly contributed $1.18 million (£850,000) towards the biopic's budget, according to Billboard.
Imagine Dragons star Dan Reynolds, another advocate for the LGBTQ+ community, also took issue with the Vatican's stance on same-sex unions, tweeting: "So disappointing. It's not about LGBTQ youth needing marriage or religion. It's about our leaders telling our youth they are undeserving of the same rights afforded to their hetero peers. That God's love is subjective. If there's a God it certainly isn't leading this."
Former Fifth Harmony star Lauren Jauregui also weighed in, noting the Catholic Church's violent and bloody history: "Also let’s not forget how most Catholics that exist today got here... look up 'The Inquisition' and 'The Crusades'," she tweeted, adding: "I promise you that marrying a couple that loves each other is the least of the Church’s worries as far as disobeying God goes."
