London - A top medical research journal Friday urged Pope Benedict XVI to retract his "distorting" comments on the use of condoms in the fight against HIV/AIDS disease during his recent Africa tour.

The Lancet, regarded one of the world's most prestigious medical journals, said the pontiff's remarks were "wildly inaccurate" and could have "devastating consequences."

During his first tour of Africa earlier this month, Pope Benedict said HIV/AIDS was "a tragedy that cannot be overcome by money alone, that cannot be overcome through the distribution of condoms, which can even increase the problem".

He suggested that the "cruel epidemic" should be tackled through abstinence and fidelity rather than condom use.

In its unprecedented attack, described as "virulent" by commentators, the Lancet said the Pope had "publicly distorted scientific evidence to promote Catholic doctrine on this issue".

"Whether the Pope's error was due to ignorance or a deliberate attempt to manipulate science to support Catholic ideology is unclear," said the journal.

"When any influential person, be it a religious or political figure, makes a false scientific statement that could be devastating to the health of millions of people, they should retract or correct the public record," it said.

"Anything less from Pope Benedict would be an immense disservice to the public and health advocates, including many thousands of Catholics, who work tirelessly to try and prevent the spread of HIV/AIDS worldwide."

The Pope's remarks were condemned by the governments of Germany, France and Belgium and by aid organizations.

UNAIDS, the UN Population Fund and the World Health Organization (WHO) released statements defending the use of condoms as the "single, most efficient, available technology to reduce the sexual transmission of HIV." (dpa)