Elton John brands Pope Francis 'my hero': 'He is a compassionate, loving man who wants everybody to be included in the love of God'

Speaking his annual AIDS benefit in New York on Tuesday night, he praised Paul Francis for pushing for an acceptance of homosexuality

Sir Elton John labelled the Pope his "hero" at his annual AIDs benefit in New York on Tuesday

Sir Elton John has reignited his public love-in with Pope Francis, describing the pontiff as his “hero”.

Speaking his annual AIDS benefit in New York on Tuesday night, he praised Paul Francis for pushing for an acceptance of homosexuality within the Catholic church.

"He is a compassionate, loving man who wants everybody to be included in the love of God," he said.

"It is formidable what he is trying to do against many, many people in the church.

"He is courageous and he is fearless, and that's what we need in the world today."

"Make this man a saint now, OK?" he concluded triumphantly.

True to Sir Elton’s word, Pope Francis has indeed adopted a more welcoming approach to homosexuality than previous leaders of the Catholic church.

He was named gay rights magazine The Avocate’s Person of the Year in December 2013, and appeared on the front cover next to his famous quote: "If someone is gay and seeks the Lord with good will, who am I to judge?"

He was also named Man of the Year in the Italian edition of Vanity Fair, for which Sir Elton lent his support.

"Francis is a miracle of humility in an era of vanity," Sir Elton wrote in an accompanying tribute.

"His beacon of hope will bring more light than any advancement of science, because no drug has the power of love."

However, the pontiff’s history of supporting gay rights hasn’t always been so revolutionary.

Pope Francis stridently opposed same-sex marriage and fought against laws being passed to allow it when he was the archbishop of Buenos Aires.

"Let’s not be naïve: This is not a simple political struggle, but an attempt to destroy God’s plan," he said in Argentina of same-sex marriage in 2010.

"It is not just a bill but a move of the Father of Lies, who seeks to confuse and deceive the children of God."

Sir Elton’s continued honouring comes as Pope Francis gave merit to Darwin’s theory of evolution and the Big Bang theory.

"When we read about Creation in Genesis, we run the risk of imagining God was a magician, with a magic wand able to do everything. But that is not so," Pope Francis explained at the Pontifical Academy of Sciences this week.

"He created human beings and let them develop according to the internal laws that he gave to each one so they would reach their fulfilment.

"The Big Bang, which today we hold to be the origin of the world, does not contradict the intervention of the divine creator but, rather, requires it.

"Evolution in nature is not inconsistent with the notion of creation, because evolution requires the creation of beings that evolve."