Pope John Paul II cancelled a meeting with Swedish Lutheran Archbishop Karl Gustav Hammar Oct. 5 reportedly because Hammar is too pro-gay.

Hammar supports allowing gay and lesbian ministers to register their relationships under Sweden's marriage-like gay-partners law.

He also approved a recent showing in Sweden's main cathedral of Ecce Homo, an art exhibit that shows Jesus and the apostles in drag and as leathermen.

According to correspondent Jon Voss, editor of the Stockholm gay newspaper QX: "Two pictures have caused most protests from the religious right: The Last Supper scene, where [Jesus] is sitting in high heels with 12 drag queens and transvestites. And one scene where he is baptized -- nude showing his dick. This has caused uproar and a lot of laughs because the model in the picture has a big dick. The bishop of Uppsala ... said the dick was erect, which the model, who works here at QX, denies."

Following the Vatican's announcement, Archbishop Hammar told reporters: "I deeply regret the decision of the Vatican and I am very surprised that this point has been made so strongly ... That they have decided to humiliate the entire church of Sweden in this way seems strange to me."