Gay Kiss-in Welcomes Pope

An estimated 200 gays and lesbians staged a protest with a five-minute-long "kiss-in" in Barcelona as Pope Benedict XVI visited the city to defend the Catholic Church's family values, reports Sky News.

The kiss-in took place as the popemobile drove past a crowd estimated at tens of thousands who had gathered in front of Barcelona's Sagrada Familia church. The pontiff attacked Spanish laws that allow same-sex marriage, quick divorces, and legal abortions as he dedicated the iconic basilica.

"We are here to demonstrate against the pope's visit and call for a change in the mentality of the Catholic institution, which still opposes our right to different ways of loving," said protester Sergi Diaz.

Pope Benedict called for Europe as a whole to rediscover Christian teachings and apply them to everyday life, and continued to criticize the policies of Spain's socialist government.

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