White House Press Secretary Roberts Gibbs told CNSNews.com that President Barack Obama remains “comfortable” with the presence of homosexual activist Harry Knox on the President’s Advisory Council on Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships.

Knox is director of the faith and religion program at the homosexual lobby group Human Rights Campaign. The disclosure that he has made a number of anti-Catholic statements prior to his appointment earlier this year to the faith-based council prompted calls for his removal from the council.

Anti-Catholic statements made by Knox include calling Pope Benedict XVI a “discredited leader” and calling the Knights of Columbus a “discredited army of oppression.” Knox has also claimed the Pope’s opposition to the use of condoms is “harming people in the name of Jesus.”

In response to Knox’s remarks criticizing Catholics, House Minority Leader John Boehner and Rep. Thad McCotter, R-Mich., joined with 20 other prominent Catholics in signing a May 13 public letter to Obama requesting Knox’s removal from the presidential advisory council.

CNSNews reported that it asked presidential spokesman Gibbs on Tuesday if the president disagreed with Knox’s comments about the Pope, and if the president would respond to the May 13 letter.

Said Gibbs, “I haven’t seen that letter, but the president is comfortable with the makeup of his faith advisory council.”