Pope: Respect 'natural difference' between men, women

Pope Francis called Friday to respect the "natural difference" between men and women, as he warned against the imposition of "alien" lifestyles.

Francis, who has been seen as less hostile to gays than his predecessors, indicated in an address to the United Nations that he does not embrace transgender rights.

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Pope Francis leads Mass attended by thousands of the ticketed faithful at Madison Square Garden in New York on Friday, September 25, 2015. AFP PHOTO / Pool / Michael Appleton

"We recognize a moral law written into human nature itself, one which includes the natural difference between man and woman and absolute respect for life in all its stages and dimensions," Francis said.

In a possible allusion to same-sex marriage, Francis warned against an "ideological colonization by the imposition of anomalous models and lifestyles which are alien to people's identity and, in the end, irresponsible."

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