Church leaders have hit back angrily at controversial claims by a prominent gay activist that Anglican archbishops of Sydney die younger than the rest of the community.

''It's just not true,'' said the Reverend Obadiah Jensen-Slope, a spokesman for the Sydney Anglican diocese. ''All our archbishops have lived long and happy lives. To suggest otherwise is offensive and heartless.''

The storm erupted when the executive director of Gays Australia, Oscar Queene, said on the ABC's Q&A program on Monday that an episcopal lifestyle in Sydney was ''a health hazard that kills archbishops early''.

''We don't know why this happens, but the evidence is in,'' he said. ''The statistics show that Sydney Anglican bishops and archbishops - and it's only Sydney - tend to drop off the twig in their 60s, many while they're still in office.''

Mr Queene said it was not yet possible to explain the reasons for this early mortality, but it was almost certainly a lifestyle issue.

''Research done at the prestigious Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, Maryland, confirms what I'm saying,'' he said. ''These men just don't have any fun.

''The curious thing is that it doesn't affect Catholic archbishops. Cardinal George Pell, for example, is expected to live to about 130.''

Mr Jensen-Slope said the research had not been done by the Johns Hopkins University. ''We've searched the internet,'' he said. ''The only thing remotely like these claims comes from somebody called John Hopkins, who apparently runs a gay sauna in Topeka, Kansas.''

But Mr Queene remains unrepentant at the furore he has aroused.

''It's time to talk about why this happens, and to approach it in a compassionate and objective way so we can offer help and counselling. In the meantime, I think Sydney's Anglican archbishops need to get out more.''

Mike Carlton