While Roman Catholic Archbishop George Pell led the Easter service in a packed East Melbourne church, some 40 protesters outside hung nooses, held banners that read "Homophobia = Youth Suicide" and screamed "George Pell, go to hell".

Security guards were also employed to keep the members from the Queers United to End Economic Rationalism (Queer) protest group from entering the church's premises. The group reportedly laid down outside the church's forecourt gates in mock death.

Dr Pell was delivering his last Easter mass at St Patrick's Cathedral before taking up his appointment as Archbishop of Sydney. He is known for his public message against homosexuality and his refusal to give gays holy communion. He once described homosexual activity as a much greater health risk than smoking, according to The Canberra Times.

"We're here today because over many, many years George Pell and the official rhetoric coming from the Catholic church condemns homosexuals as invalid human beings," the group's spokesman, Jonathan Wilkinson told The Age newspaper.

He also said that the nooses did not represent any intention of violence against Dr Pell but instead the predicament of alienated gays, who felt they had no other option but to kill themselves.

He said that the purpose of the protest is for Dr Pell to recognise that homosexuality was "real, legitimate and it is here to stay" and that the Catholic Church recognise it was not homosexuality that brought suffering, but "bigotry".