With friends like that . . .

Oh, the embarrassment! Remember those homophobic bishops and other frockists meeting for the GAFCON in Jerusalem, which we mentioned in an entry yesterday? And how they were there, in Jerusalem, talking about the evils of homosexuality in their campery while a successful Gay Pride event was going on in the same city?



Well, they've had an endorsement for their cause, which you'd think they'd be pleased about. But they may not be, because it's come from none other than the esteemed Robert Mugabe (below, probably berating gays), who's made some sort of statement about how degenerate the Church is ahead of his highly contested presidential election tomorrow, which, on account of the fairness of the Zimbabwean system, he expects to win.



With an endorsement like that, you never know: the GAFCON lot might just all turn queer.



Ekklesia, linked to above, says, "In a campaign comment ahead of today's uncontested election in Zimbabwe, President Robert Mugabe has condemned Archbishop Rowan Williams as lacking a 'moral compass' and said that gays in the church are a sign of 'moral degeneracy'."



This thoroughly upright and decent president made his comments after two African archbishops turned down opportunities at a press conference earlier this week to condemn violence against lesbian and gay people. They said it was not the churches' business to get involved in arguments with governments.



Mugabe's rabid hatred of gays is not new, though. Indeed, as the Ekklesia site points out, "British gay and human rights activist Peter Tatchell has been badly beaten by the dictator's security staff trying to make a 'citizen's arrest' of Mugabe for his abuse and crimes against sexual minorities.'



But you get the feeling they'd rather he'd just kept his mouth shut. Just this once.