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Sydney Catholic Archbishop George Pell refused to give communion to some 15 gay and lesbian Catholics wearing rainbow sashes at St Mary's Cathedral on Sunday, reports ninemsn.com.

Archbishop Pell refused to administer the religious rite to the members of the Rainbow Sash movement who approached the altar wearing the symbol of gay pride.

While Dr Pell had refused communion to members of the Rainbow Sash movement on at least 10 occasions during his previous tenure in Melbourne, it was the first time he has taken such action since becoming the Archbishop of Sydney in May last year.

Dr Pell has been a long-time target of gay and lesbian activists and had once come under fire for declaring homosexuality was more of a health hazard than smoking.
He was also the subject of violent protests in Melbourne earlier this year, when he told the congregation at St Mary's Cathedral in Sydney that homosexuality went against the teachings of the Catholic Church.

Rainbow Sash Sydney spokesman Michael Kelly said Dr Pell was going against Jesus's teachings.

"When I came to Archbishop Pell he simply said to me, I can't help you," Mr Kelly told reporters outside St Mary's Cathedral.

"What we say is that this goes against the gospel. Jesus specifically ate with and drank with people that the religious authorities claimed were unclean. Turning people away is not what Jesus came to teach us," he said.

Meanwhile in Melbourne, eight members of the congregation at St Patrick's Cathedral were refused communion and was instead offered a blessing by Archbishop Denis Hart.

"As soon as he saw me coming up with the rainbow sash, he said `Would you like a blessing?' and I said `no, I'd prefer communion'," Ms Coleman told AAP, citing a Courier Mail report.

"But he just started to give me the blessing, so he was obviously very well prepared. That was apparently what he offered others too."

Rainbow Sash president David McKenna said the group's fifth appearance in Melbourne on Pentecost Sunday was significant as it joined the first simultaneous protests held in Sydney and New York.