Social housing tenants in Bradford have hit back at “insulting” comments about their homes contained in a controversial document concerning the Pope’s visit to Britain.

The leaked, unofficial Foreign Office memo made a number of suggestions about the forthcoming visit which many Catholics have described as “offensive” and “disrespectful.”

Among suggestions that the Pope should open an abortion clinic, bless a gay marriage and launch a range of Benedict-branded condoms, was a proposal that he should “spend a night in a Bradford council flat.”

But social housing tenants have defended their homes saying many of them are “excellent” and at least the Pope would experience “real life.”

And Father Tom O’Connor, parish priest at Our Lady and All Saints, in Otley, said: “I don’t suppose the Bradford people are too pleased about having their city mentioned in this way.

“My reaction was that the whole thing (the document) was rather offensive.”

The Government has been forced to apologise over the Foreign Office document which said Benedict XVI could show his hard line on the sensitive issue of child abuse allegations against Roman Catholic priests by “sacking dodgy bishops” and launching a helpline for abused children.

In fact, Bradford no longer has “Council flats” as most of the district’s social housing was handed over to the InCommun-ities housing association in 2003.

Since then Incommunities (formerly BCHT) has invested more than £300 million in improving thousands of homes to a level in excess of the Government’s Decent Homes Standard.

A spokesman said that Incommunities was not prepared to comment on “an unofficial and insulting internal FO memo”.

The Vatican stressed yesterday that the Pope’s visit to Britain will not be affected by the disclosure of the document.

Vatican spokesman Father Federico Lombardi has noted a Foreign Office apology and said the paper will have “absolutely” no impact on the Pope’s visit in September, an official confirmed.

The Foreign Office issued an apology for the memo, describing the suggestions as “ill-judged, naive and disrespectful”.

Scottish Secretary Jim Murphy, who is leading the preparations for the visit, also described the suggestions as “absolutely despicable” and “vile”.

The ideas were included in a paper titled “The ideal visit would see...” which was distributed to officials in Whitehall and Downing Street preparing for the historic visit.

A cover note said the paper stemmed from a brainstorming session and accepted that some of the ideas were “far-fetched”.

Many of the proposals appeared to mock the teachings of the Roman Catholic Church on issues such as abortion, homosexuality and contraception and the difficulties it is experiencing over cases of child abuse.

The Foreign Office apologised for what it described as a “foolish” document and said the individual responsible had been transferred to other duties.

Foreign Secretary David Miliband was said to have been “appalled” to hear of the paper, and Britain’s ambassador to the Vatican, Francis Campbell, met senior officials of the Holy See to express the Government’s regret.