Elton and Furnish slam Pope's 'homophobia'

Elton John and partner David Furnish have blasted Pope Benedict XVI for his stance on homosexuality - ahead of their gay marriage next month.

The pair are bracing themselves for a Catholic backlash when they exchange vows in England next month, but also criticise the pontiff for his controversial views on contraception.

John says: "He's endorsing genocide, basically, by saying what he says about AIDS and restricting the use of condoms."

But the couple are determined to go ahead with the same-sex civil marriage on the day it is made legal in Britain (December 5), despite both the papal opposition and condemnation from the US.

Furnish says: "The dissenting voices are part of the reason that we are doing this thing. The extremism in America is getting more and more polarised. The Pope is very openly anti-gay."