by ANDREA TORNIELLI
The Holy See has opted for silence, following the uproar provoked by the comments attributed to Pope Francis that there is a “gay lobby” inside the Vatican.
The leaders of the Latin American and Caribbean Confederation of Clerics, have condemned the publication of the transcript of their meeting with Pope Francis, which ended up on the website “Reflexion y Liberación” (Reflection and Liberation), without explaining how the transcript came to be published. And while voices from within the Vatican repeat that these statements cannot be attributed to the Pope, nobody has denied their content.
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Caught in the act
It is difficult to untangle the complicated web of overlapping accusations that circulate within the Vatican, where anonymous letters are the order of the day, and simply floating an accusation of homosexuality is the best way to destroy one’s adversary. However, it must be remembered that a few years ago, an inquiry by the Italian programme “Exit” secretly filmed a monsignor with a young boy whom he had found on the Internet. The prelate lost his job in the Curia, despite maintaining that he had chatted with the boy and invited him to his office because he was conducting a “study.”
On the other hand, at times even being caught in flagrante is not enough to interrupt a burgeoning career. This was the case for the brilliant Vatican diplomat who was discovered in bed with a man and removed from the embassy where he worked — but who nonetheless became a bishop some years later. For these obviously “protected” members of the clergy, their careers will continue uninterrupted. An accusation of homosexuality made by a cardinal against an influential bishop in the Curia will prevent the latter being appointed to an important position; but the top-secret investigation by a 007 in a habit will absolve the accused, who will then finally be promoted.
And what about the handful of young, entrepreneuring non-believers who wormed their way into the good graces of top Vatican officials via unmentionable rounds of bargaining and sexual encounters? The case of Angelo Balducci, one of the Papal Gentlemen, provided an insight into this squalid underworld when it emerged that a chorister from the Cappella Giulia choir had been procuring paid lovers for him.
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