CASTEL GANDOLFO, Italy - In a direct denunciation of the upcoming UN population conference, Pope John Paul said yesterday that political leaders are overstepping their ethical bounds by encouraging abortion and artificial contraception.

The Pope said such encouragement seeks to deprive couples of the right to determine the size of their families.

The pontiff has used his recent weekly addresses to stress Catholic views on family values and morality in obvious - but indirect - attacks on the conference, scheduled for September in Egypt. But his comments yesterday struck straight at the meeting, saying it seeks to give government too much sway over family matters by advocating abortion and other "ethically unacceptable" methods of birth control.

The Pope contends the UN conference will only treat population growth as a political and economic problem and ignore ethical and religious points of view.

The Assoc. Press