The Catholic Church on Thursday reiterated that it was in favour of decriminalising homosexuality although it was still opposed to same-sex marriage.
In an apparent effort to stem polemics after the Vatican said it was against a proposed United Nations declaration to decriminalise homosexuality in the world, Vatican Spokesman Federico Lombardi said the Church's opposition to the proposal specifically regarded its inevitable extension to safeguard equal rights for same-sex marriages.
''It's one thing to say that discrimination against and criminalisation of homosexuality should be banned, and another to add many other points through which one arrives at placing different sexual orientations on the same level,'' he said.
''The Church supports marriage between a man and a woman and will not accept same-sex marriages as on an equal level''.
Italy's gay rights groups had a mixed reaction to Lombardi's comments.
Arcigay President Aurelio Mancuso hailed them as foreshadowing a ''spectacular historic U-turn'' despite what he described as the Vatican's continued support of ''a hateful classification of human rights and liberties''.
He added that the Vatican had been forced to clarify its position in the face of protests across the country ''supported by the large majority of the public''.
''Lots of tiny Davids have once again beaten the Goliath of hate and discrimination,'' he said.
But Gaynet President Franco Grillini greeted Lombardi's comments - which contained no explicit statement of support for the proposal - more cautiously.
''If the Vatican is against the death penalty for homosexuals, it must subscribe to the UN proposal. If not, these are just words in the wind, the usual lies that hide a cruel and homophobic position,'' he said.
FLAP OVER FRENCH PROPOSAL.
The Vatican's representative to the UN, Monsignor Celestino Migliore, said last week in an interview with the French news agency I.media that the Church was against the French-sponsored declaration, which will be presented to the UN General Assembly in mid December on behalf of the 27-member European Union.
Migliore explained the Church's opposition to the idea saying it would whip up ''new and implacable'' forms of discrimination.
''For instance, nations that do not recognise same-sex marriages would be pilloried and be subjected to pressure,'' he said.
Early on in the row, Lombardi had defended the Church's position, pointing out that the Vatican was not alone in its opposition to the proposal, with at least 150 UN members sharing its view.
''Fewer than 50 nations of the UN are backing it,'' he said.
Mancuso, the Arcigay head, said at the time that the Catholic Church's decision to oppose the French proposal amounted to ''a sort of real death sentence against the millions of gays and lesbians who unfortunately live in bloodthirsty countries''.
At least 86 countries ban gays and many others approve torture and imprisonment.
The seven Islamic-led nations of Iran, Saudi Arabia, Yemen, the United Arab Emirates, Sudan, Nigeria and Mauritania meanwhile foresee the death penalty, he added.
France said that it was presenting the resolution - as part of a wider campaign to promote the declaration of the universal rights of man - while holding the European Union duty presidency, which expires on December 31.
