Elton John Says Jesus Would Have Supported Same-Sex Marriage, Praises "Wonderful" Pope Francis

Singer has two children with longtime partner David Furnish

By Natalie Finn Jul 01, 2014 12:37 AMTags
Emmy Awards Show, Elton John Kevin Winter/Getty Images

Elton John would like those who oppose same-sex marriage for so-called religious reasons to have another look at their New Testament.

"The church hierarchy, the traditionalists, might be up in arms about it but times have changed," the 67-year-old singer recently told Sky NewsDermot Murnaghan.

"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. He was all about love and compassion and forgiveness and trying to bring people together and that is what the church should be about."

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John and longtime partner David Furnish have two sons together and are planning to marry next year in London, now that gay marriage is legal in England.

The pop superstar, who chose Lady Gaga to be godmother of both of his children, also said that he finds long-standing rules, such as Catholic priests being forced to remain celibate and gay clergy members not being allowed to marry, "old and stupid things."

But John might see a light at the end of the archaic tunnel, calling Pope Francis "wonderful."

"He's excited me so much by his humanity," the singer said about the reigning leader of the Roman Catholic Church.

"He's taken everything down to the humility of faith. 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."

John and Furnish had originally announced their intent to marry this year, now that it's legal in England, but he said that there's some sort of delay because they're already in a civil partnership.

"However, when we do do," he promised, "it will be very quiet and off the cuff—we had our big shebang when we had our civil union."