Elton John was branded a 'sinner' by the Orthodox Church in Ukraine in the row over his wish to adopt a baby from the country.

The comment came after officials confirmed there has been no application yet for the 62-year-old singer to adopt Lev, a 14-month-old boy whose mother has HIV. However, at least one government source speculated that liberal politicians might seek to put a law through the Ukrainian parliament to enable the pop star to circumvent curbs which comprehensively forbid him from adopting.

The Donetsk Diocese of the Orthodox Church was uncompromising in its stance against any move to Elton and David. Spokesman Father Georgy Gulyaev said: 'Thank God it's impossible under Ukrainian law for Elton John to adopt a child. The Church is strictly against same-sex marriages and the damage they cause. It's written in Holy Scriptures that homosexual marriage and relations is a sin. It is a sin, it is against nature, and it represents the dead end of human development.

'People pretend to have good intentions, create semi-marriages and so-called families, and moreover they dare to adopt children. Unlike people who are blessed by God to create natural families, these are people who succumb to their passions. This is definitely a sin, there is no other word for it, and the church will never agree that people who have created same-sex "marriage" could also dare to adopt children. This applies to all, including Elton John. He is a sinner.'

Ukraine's family minister, Yuriy Pavlenko, said: 'Officially, Elton John has not approached the ministry or any other authority with a request to adopt the child at the Makeyevka orphanage. In any case, if there were such a request from Elton John we would have to refuse.'

Mr Pavlenko said that both Elton and David, who is about to turn 47, were too old to adopt. Under Ukrainian law, adoptive parents must be less than 45 years older than the child. The country also does not see same-sex relationships as marriage or a stable and suitable relationship for adoption.

'The only way would be if parliament adopts a separate special law on making Elton John an adoptive parent of this particular child,' he said. 'But, frankly speaking, we would be against this if such a law were to be initiated.'

Blogging sites in Ukraine had already suggested that the Elton John case could be a way of changing the adoption laws in the country. But Mr Pavlenko said: 'Foreign citizens who are single have no right to adopt children. And the age difference between the adopter and the child cannot be more than 45 years. The law is the same for everybody: For a president, for a minister, for Elton John.'

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