Elton John: Pope Francis deserves sainthood

Neil Patrick Harris had a "classy night" at Sir Elton John's annual AIDS benefit.

The actor was among an A-list audience at last night's Manhattan bash, with Alec Baldwin, Mike Myers and Brooke Shields all in attendance.

Taking to his Twitter account, Neil praised Elton and the work his foundation does in the fight against the disease.

"A very classy night at the gala for the Elton John AIDS Foundation ( @ejaforg). A truly important organization (sic)," Neil tweeted to his 10.9million fans.

At An Enduring Vision: A Benefit for the Elton John AIDS Foundation event, Elton heaped praise on Pope Francis, going as far to say he was his hero.

Admiring the way Pope Francis is pushing boundaries in the religion, Elton said the leader of the Catholic Church deserved the highest honour possible.

"Make this man a saint now, OK?

"Ten years ago one of the biggest obstacles in the fight against AIDS was the Catholic Church. Today we have a pope that speaks out about it," Elton told his audience, who responded with heavy cheers and claps.

Elton was joined by husband David Furnish at the event, and entertained crowds with his smash hits, including Tiny Dancer and Your Song.

Prizes such as a Damien Hirst painting and a lunch date with Austin Powers funnyman Mike were auctioned off, raising vital funds for research into the disease.

"He is a compassionate, loving man who wants everybody to be included in the love of God," Elton added of the pope. "It is formidable what he is trying to do against many, many people in the church that opposes. He is courageous and he is fearless, and that's what we need in the world today."