By INSIDER NEWS DESK

VATICAN CITY – Pope Benedict XVI has condemned same sex marriage and cohabitation in an address to US Bishops on the “contemporary crisis of marriage and the family.”

 The Pope spoke to a group of bishops from the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, who have recently completed their "ad limina" visit.

 Pope Benedict said that increased divorce rates and the widespread rejection of “a responsible, mature sexual ethic grounded in the practice of chastity,” have led to “grave societal problems bearing an immense human and economic cost.”

 He emphasised that to the Church, the definition of ‘marriage’ is based on “a specific communion of persons, essentially rooted in the complementarity of the sexes and oriented to procreation.”

 The Pope said that the institution of marriage is "ultimately a question of justice, since it entails safeguarding the good of the entire human community and the rights of parents and children alike.”

 Same Sex marriage is a topic of heated debate worldwide. While most developed countries recognise a civil union between same sex couples, the status of ‘marriage’ is denied to gay couples in many states. The UK government has recently committed to legalising same sex marriage by 2015, and stand to join ten other countries who have recognised gay marriage since 2001.

 Around Valentine’s Day this year, a pro-gay marriage video produced by Italian LGBT advocacy group, Arcigay, was widely viewed on the internet.

 The Pope also berated cohabitation in his address, which he said is “gravely sinful, not to mention damaging to the stability of society.”

 "All our efforts in this area are ultimately concerned with the good of children, who have a fundamental right to grow up with a healthy understanding of sexuality and its proper place in human relationships.”