Pope Benedict has called upon Catholic bishops from England and Wales to defend the faith in the face of controversial equality legislation passing through Parliament.

Addressing 35 bishops at the end of their ad limina visit to Rome today, he said the Government’s equality legislation was unjust and violated natural law.

He told the bishops to defend the Church’s moral teaching and speak with a united voice against the legislation.

“Your country is well known for its firm commitment to equality of opportunity for all members of society. Yet as you have rightly pointed out, the effect of some of the legislation designed to achieve this goal has been to impose unjust limitations on the freedom of religious communities to act in accordance with their beliefs,” he said.

“Fidelity to the Gospel in no way restricts the freedom of others – on the contrary, it serves their freedom by offering them the truth. Continue to insist upon your right to participate in national debate through respectful dialogue with other elements in society.

“In doing so, you are not only maintaining long-standing British traditions of freedom of expression and honest exchange of opinion, but you are actually giving voice to the convictions of many people who lack the means to express them: when so many of the population claim to be Christian, how could anyone dispute the Gospel’s right to be heard?”

Last week, Church of England bishops were among the peers in the House of Lords who voted down controversial changes to existing employment equality laws that would have ended exemptions for religious organisations.

The Pope used the speech to confirm his first apostolic visit to Britain later this year. He said the enthusiasm surrounding the recent visit of the relics of Saint Therese and interest in the beatification of Cardinal Newman were some of the signs of “living faith and devotion” among Catholics in England and Wales “despite the pressures of a secular age”.

The four-day visit is expected to begin in Scotland in September.

The National Secular Society said it was planning a “large-scale” campaign of protest against the visit that would bring together gay groups, feminist groups, family planning organisations, and pro-choice groups.