Dr Michael Nazir-Ali, Bishop of Rochester, wants to uphold the Bible's traditional teachings

A CHURCH of England bishop has hit out at London’s homosexuals, urging them to "repent and be changed".

The Bishop of Rochester Dr Michael Nazir-Ali said people who stray from traditional Bible teachings "do not share the same faith".

His comments come a day after more than half a million people descended onto the capital's streets for the annual Gay Pride festival.

Sarah Brown, the Prime Minister's wife, and comedian Rhona Cameron were among the high-profile guests at yesterday's fiesta.

But gay campaigners condemned the bishop’s comments and urged him to "repent his homophobia".

Dr Nazir-Ali's comments in The Sunday Telegraph also come on the eve of tomorrow's launch of the Fellowship of Confessing Anglicans, a group of conservative parishes from around the world.

In the interview, Dr Nazir-Ali said: "We want to uphold the traditional teaching of the Bible. We believe that God has revealed his purpose about how we are made.

"The Bible's teaching shows that marriage is between a man and a woman. Homosexuals should repent and be changed."

"People who depart from this don't share the same faith. They are acting in a way that is not normative according to what God has revealed in the Bible.

"The Bible's teaching shows that marriage is between a man and a woman. That is the way to express our sexual nature.

"We welcome homosexuals. We don't want to exclude people, but we want them to repent and be changed."

The bishop, who steps down from his post in September, went on: "We want to hold on to the traditional teaching of the Church. We don't want to be rolled over by culture and trends in the Church. We want a movement for renewal. We need a reformation of the Church and the life of the Communion."

Gay rights campaigner Peter Tatchell hit back at his comments, saying: "As an Asian man, the Bishop knows the pain of racial prejudice. I am shocked that he wants to inflict similar prejudice on gay people.

"Homophobia is a social and moral evil, just like racism. Bigotry, even in the guise of religion, has no place in a compassionate, caring society.

"I call on the Bishop to repent his homophobia. His prejudice goes against Christ's gospel of love and compassion."