A news magazine accompanied a number of priests to gay clubs and engaged in casual sex. The Daily Mail reports:
A gay priest sex scandal has rocked the Catholic Church in Italy today after a weekly news magazine released details of a shock investigation it had carried out.
Using hidden cameras, a journalist from Panorama magazine – owned by Italian Prime Minister and media baron Silvio Berlusconi – filmed three priests as they attended gay nightspots and had casual sex.
Today there was no immediate comment from the Italian Bishops Conference and the Vatican – which has been rocked by a series of sex scandals involving paedophile priests since the start of the year.
The diocese of Rome responded that no one is forcing homosexual prelates to remain as priests. It said “we don’t want to hurt them” but their conduct “muddies the reputation of all the others.”
This is awful and it seems that the priests were in on it and they need to be handled immediately as they went out of their way to hurt the Church.
Update: Bloomberg reports:
The Vicar of Rome today called on homosexual clergymen in the Catholic Church to “come out” and leave the priesthood.
The Vicar of Rome, one of the most important positions in the Vatican, was responding to a report today in Panorama Magazine that said Catholic priests were conducting a double life, citing secret video footage.
“No one is forcing them to stay in the priesthood to exploit the benefits,” the Diocese of Rome said in a statement posted on its Web Site. “If they are coherent, they should come out into the open.”
July 23, 2010 at 4:15 pm
Contrary to what dissenters claim, the problem IS homosexuals in the priesthood.
July 23, 2010 at 4:25 pm
Let me think on how to phrase this…
I TOLD YOU SO, WORLD! I KNEW THE CORRUPTION IN OUR CHURCH WAS FAR WORSE THAN EVEN THE MOST HORRIBLE EPOCHS OF THE MIDDLE AGES. BUT NO, NOTHING IS THE POPE'S FAULT. NOTHING IS WRONG WITH THE VATICAN. IT'S ALL UNJUST PERSECUTION.
Sigh, okay. Done now.
July 23, 2010 at 4:49 pm
…just more proof that gay men should not be accepted into the priesthood.
July 23, 2010 at 5:16 pm
It merely proves that these men were sinful and violated their own vows to God and the Church, and that they should be addressed by Vatican authorities with the seriousness of their vow breaking.
We need to pray for all involved to show the gifts of the Holy Spirit in dealing with this scandal; that those who must address the individuals will have wisdom, sound judgement and good counsel and courage for they will be villified and that those who have done this will recognize their own failures for what they are and how they have hurt far more than their own selves in the process –humility, and that they will seek good counsel, sound judgment and rekindle their own wonder and awe of the Lord and fear of sin in the process.
July 23, 2010 at 5:40 pm
Watch and see if "Fr. Carlo" and his buddies are ejected from the priesthood. I personally know a priest who "came out" to his congregation and he remained a priest in good standing until his death. His name was Greg Tolaas, and he served as chaplain at a University and spiritual director of a seminary. Loved. Adored. Honored.
What bishop would censure Fr. Carlo or his like? The good bish probably partied with him the night before.
That is why this problem is so intractable. It goes right to the top. Homosexuality is a tragedy, both for those who suffer from it personally, and those who must suffer from its tyranny indirectly.
July 23, 2010 at 5:43 pm
Unfortunately, the reporters could probably do the exact same thing and catch heterosexual priests engaging in casual sex.
Too many people seem to have the impression that priests are perfect. They're not, and the Church has never claimed that they were. We all sin, priests included.
For too long the Church has operated under its own DADT policy, and that needs to change. Sexually active priests, heterosexual or homosexual, should be reprimanded, reminded of their vows, and spend some time in contemplation. Those who cannot remain faithful to the vows they took should leave the priesthood.
In a way, it's good that this has come to light. It hurts the Church more to ignore this type of behavior than it does to have it become public, so long as there is action taken after the public airing.
July 23, 2010 at 6:46 pm
Blackrep:
I'm hoping that His Holiness will make public examples of them.
July 23, 2010 at 7:16 pm
We are at war, folks, with satan and his minions, who have corrupted many in the Church. It is time to do what Jesus did what sin entered His Father's house – let's start turning over some tables! We are the Church Militant!! Sitting down to tea with satan is not an option.
July 23, 2010 at 7:39 pm
So, What else is new?
Homosexual Priests!?
I'm shocked!
Not.
Aren't all Priests gay?
July 23, 2010 at 8:16 pm
Annon 2:39
What a horrible thing to say, "aren't all…"
No!! very very few are.
July 23, 2010 at 8:17 pm
Carol:
I think they could hear me "YES!" across the street when I read your post!
(The post right after yours proves you are right.)
Spiritual warfare brothers and sisters! Grab your Rosaries and get on your knees before Our Lord Jesus Christ!
July 23, 2010 at 8:24 pm
This comment has been removed by the author.
July 23, 2010 at 8:29 pm
(couple of typos that made through the preview step – reposting…)
Carol – you've put your finger on the issue. In the wealthy West we generally don't believe in demonic possession because it hasn't been manifesting the same way as in the Global South (although the increase of occult practices means we'll start to see the same manifestations as in African animist or Hindu communities).
In the West, however, we have seen an upsurge in a different manifestation of demonic possession – for what else would explain the rise and "evangelistic" expansion of same-sex and other sexually disordered behavior even within the Church? This isn't the result of liberation but of bondage. The transmission (by unwilling abuse or willing seduction) is similarly emblematic of an unchecked demonic virulence. There are a large pool of people who have forcibly thrust God out of their lives; that space, unoccupied by the Holy Spirit, is subject to invasion by the enemy.
The Church as a first step needs to immediately flush out any clergy practicing or preaching acceptance of same-sex acts. If anyone worries about the "faithful but tempted" priests, this is a case for spiritual direction – and if the sufferer is struggling but willing, a full-blown exorcism.
In addition, the guidelines for ministry discernment should continue to reject all postulants with same-sex attractions (even if they've never acted out on them). Instead of taking the therapeutic approach or the "hope-they-can-keep-it-zipped" approach, clergy formation should use the tools of spiritual warfare – prayer and fasting on the part of the postulants and the examiners (and us). It should also consider exorcism for the afflicted-but-celibate. In some cases, when the postulant is restored, he might recognize a call to Holy Matrimony instead of Ordination.
As for "infected institutions", they don't have an eternal soul for which we should care. Padlocking the doors, firing the faculty, and rebooting the institution after a couple of years might be the best thing to do.
When a cat gets into a fight, the skin can heal too quickly and leave an infection that becomes a life-threatening abscess. The DADT and "move them around" model of handling wayward priests (and bishops?) is a quick-but-superficial healing that lets the abscess establish itself and grow. You need to lance and drain these things. In the future, you need to quickly use potent antibiotics and bandages to keep the infection from getting established in the first place.
Doug
July 23, 2010 at 8:37 pm
Others have said it far better, we need to hit our knees and get fighting.
July 23, 2010 at 9:44 pm
This is highly disturbing. This is antithetical to the priesthood and these homosexual "priests" should be forced to resign, and made an example of publicly by the Pope. This is more proof that homosexuals should not be allowed into the priesthood. Homosexuals obviously have no self-control. We must rid all the filth within the Church– cleaning house is the best way to do this. I would rather have fewer faithful Catholics than these dissenters or/and heretics trying to destroy the Church from within.
July 23, 2010 at 9:54 pm
And how much you want to bet their parishes are filled with twelve old ladies and eight tourists, since they obviously care so much about leading people to Christ?
Ugh.
July 23, 2010 at 10:24 pm
Teresa, I am disturbed and disgusted as well, but it is a gross injustice to make the blanket comment that "homosexuals obviously have no self control" There are faithful Catholics who suffer from same sex attraction and live a chaste life, without the"happily ever after" that single heterosexual faithful Catholics can hope for. They carry a heavy cross, and if we are to help them and not give others room to call us homophobic, we must avoid such generalisations. Sacred Heart of Jesus have mercy on us all.
July 23, 2010 at 10:32 pm
First and foremost, I agree with the Church Militant thoughts of hitting our knees in prayer and fasting.
But, are we even sure the participants are consecrated priests? Based on entries I've seen in annuals of foreign and US advertising, it's relatively easy to obtain and dress up in religious garb. Think Colors of Beneton.
I find it interesting in the Daily Mail article that it's labeled as a scandal, and they used hidden cameras.
Why? Isn't this sexual expression exactly what the main stream media has been demanding of the out-of-step Church? Wouldn't you think the Daily Mail would be celebrating these modern thinking priests who are acting as everyone should by satisfying any and all sexual desires? Instead of labeling their actions scandalous, I would think these priest would be media darlings. Hey MSM, make up your mind!
If it is true, it sadly brings to mind the Fr. Corapi andedote about a Cardinal or Bishop telling a Nazi officer, "You won't destroy the Church. WE haven't been able to destroy it and we've been at it for 2000 years!" (I paraphrase).
The FatMan
July 23, 2010 at 10:41 pm
Anita,
Many types of people don't have self-control, but in the context of this post I stated "Homosexuals obviously have no self-control." But, to put it better context, any person whether heterosexual or homosexual that violates their oath of chastity and has sexual relations with another adult, or preys on young boys or girls and commits acts of abuse against them has no self-control or displays no self control at the most crucial of times when it is necessitated.
July 23, 2010 at 11:31 pm
It satins follower that have infiltrated the church with corruption and evil! It's spiritual warfare we need to avenge the sinners, and scarified if necessary to save the Church. All evil doers should die and the world be free of them.