Adolescents are "spontaneously homosexual" and the society "at large is pedophile," according to a Brazilian archbishop.

Archbishop Dadeus Grings, a conservative priest who has made controversial statements in the past, made the comments at a Brazilian bishops conference, according to media report Wednesday.

The archbishop said the society's woes are being reflected in the sex abuse scandal enveloping the Roman Catholic Church.

"Society today is pedophile, that is the problem. So, people easily fall into it. And the fact it is denounced is a good sign," Grings said.

His comments come as the church is falling into a sex abuse scandal and three weeks after Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone, the No. 2 official at the Vatican, said sex scandals were linked to homosexuality and not celibacy among priests.

There have been several cases of priests allegedly abusing children that have surfaced in Brazil in recent months.

The archbishop also said children need guidance and it was important to help them avoid homosexuality.