Pope Benedict Gay? Ge Gaenswe Relatnship Sparks Rumors Vatin - The Hollywood Gossip

Contents:

• ‘IS POPE BENEDICT XVI GAY?’ WONRS ANDREW SULLIVAN
• POPE BENEDICT GAY? GE GAENSWE RELATNSHIP SPARKS RUMORS VATIN
• 21 GAY POPES, CARDINALS AND ASSORTED CATHOLIC LEADERS.
• THE VATIN’S SECRET LIFEDPE HEADL ABOUT A POWERFUL “GAY LOBBY” WH THE VATIN, AND A NEW POPE PROMISG REFORM, THE CATHOLIC CHURCH’S GAY RDALS, MONKS, AND OTHER CLERGY HAB A HIDN HERWORLD. IN ROME, THE THOR LEARNS HOW THEY NAVIGATE THE DANGERO PARADOX OF THEIR LIV.BY MICHAEL JOSEPH GROSSNOVEMBER 15, 2013SAVE THIS STORYSAVESAVE THIS STORYSAVENAKED BUT FOR THE TOWEL AROUND HIS WAIST, A MAN OF A CERTA AGE SAT BY HIMSELF, BENT SLIGHTLY FORWARD AS IF PRAYG, A RNER OF THE SNA AT A GYM CENTRAL ROME. I HAD NOT MET THIS MAN BEFORE, BUT AS I ENTERED THE SNA, I THOUGHT I REGNIZED HIM OM PHOTOGRAPHS. HE LOOKED LIKE A PRIT WH WHOM I’D RRPOND AFTER MUTUAL IENDS PUT TOUCH, A MAN I HAD WANTED TO NSULT ABOUT GAY CLERICS THE VATIN CURIA. MY IENDS TOLD ME THAT THIS PRIT WAS GAY, POLILLY SAVVY, AND WELL NNECTED TO THE GAY CHURCH HIERARCHY ROME.BUT THIS ULDN’T BE THAT PRIT. HE HAD TOLD ME THAT HE’D BE AWAY AND ULDN’T MEET. YET AS I LOOKED AT THE MAN MORE CLOSELY, I SAW THAT WAS FELY HIM. WHEN WE WERE ALONE, I SPOKE HIS NAME, TELLG HIM ME. “I THOUGHT YOU WERE OUT OF THE UNTRY,” I SAID. “HOW LUCKY FOR ME: YOU’RE HERE!” STARTLED, THE PRIT TALKED FAST. Y, HIS PLANS HAD CHANGED, HE SAID, BUT HE WAS LEAVG AGA THE NEXT DAY AND WOULD RETURN ONLY AFTER I WAS GONE.DURG THE PREV FEW DAYS, I HAD HEARD A LOT ABOUT THIS MAN. I HAD HEARD THAT HE IS A GOSSIP, A SOCIAL OPERATOR WHOSE LENDAR IS A BLUR OF DRKS AND DNERS WH RDALS AND ARCHBISHOPS, PRCIPSAS AND PERSONAL TRAERS. SUPPOSEDLY, HE LOV TO DISH MALE LLEAGU WH MPY FEMALE NICKNAM. BUT I WOULD NEVER HAVE THE EXPERIENCE FIRSTHAND. THE PRIT WAS EMBARRASSED: TO HAVE BEEN CHANCED UPON AT THIS PLACE; TO HAVE HAD HIS SMALL EVASNS REVEALED. THE ENUNTER WAS AWKWARD. NO, HE DID NOT WISH TO DISCS THE SUBJECT I WAS TERTED . NO, HE DID NOT THK THE SUBJECT WORTHWHILE. THE THGS HE MA CLEAR. WE LEFT THE SNA AND, AFTER FURTHER NVERSATN, CIVIL BUT STILTED, WENT OUR SEPARATE WAYS.I ULD UNRSTAND HIS DISFORT. BUT ROME THE DAYS THE TOPIC OF GAY PRITS THE UPPER REACH OF THE HOLY SEE IS HARD TO AVOID. IN FEBARY OF THIS YEAR, NOT LONG BEFORE THE COLLEGE OF CARDALS GATHERED THE SISTE CHAPEL FOR THE NCLAVE TO CHOOSE THE 266TH POPE, THE LARGT ITALIAN DAILY NEWSPAPER, LA REPUBBLI, REPORTED THAT A “GAY LOBBY”—A MORE OR LS UNIFIED BAL OF HOMOSEXUAL POWER BROKERS—MIGHT BE OPERATG SI THE VATIN. ACRDG TO THE NEWSPAPER, THE POSSIBLE EXISTENCE OF THIS GAY LOBBY WAS AMONG THE MANY SECRETS SCRIBED A TWO-VOLUME, 300-PAGE REPORT BOUND RED AND PRENTED TO POPE BENEDICT XVI BY THREE RDALS HE HAD APPOTED TO VTIGATE THE AFFAIR KNOWN AS “VATILEAKS.” THAT SNDAL, WHICH RAISED H SPICNS OF ENMIC RPTN WH THE CURIA, HAD BROKEN THE PREV YEAR AFTER PAOLO GABRIELE, THE PAPAL BUTLER, MA OFF WH SOME OF BENEDICT’S PRIVATE PAPERS AND LEAKED THEM TO THE PRS.THE TERNAL VATILEAKS REPORT, ACRDG TO LA REPUBBLI, DITED THAT GAY CLERICS THE VATIN WERE BEG BLACKMAILED. THE REPORT WAS ALSO SAID TO DOCUMENT THE ALLEGED GAY LOBBY’S SOCIAL STCTURE AND CTOMS. YET TAILS NCERNG GAY PRITS’ GATHERGS ADD UP TO OLD NEWS: THE TAL HAD BEEN TOLD ARTICL PREVLY PUBLISHED BY LA REPUBBLI SELF. SENSATNALLY, THE NEWSPAPER SUGGTED THAT BENEDICT’S NCERN ABOUT THE ALLEGED GAY LOBBY WAS ONE REASON HE HAD SUDNLY RIGNED THE PAPACY.MONTHS LATER, ANOTHER LEAK OF NFINTIAL RMATN BROUGHT THE SUBJECT OF A GAY LOBBY BACK TO THE NEWS. SOMEONE TOOK NOT DURG WHAT WAS MEANT TO BE A PRIVATE MEETG BETWEEN LAT-AMERIN CHURCH LEARS AND THE NEW POPE, THE FORMER RDAL JE BERGOGL, ARCHBISHOP OF BUENOS AIR, NOW KNOWN AS FRANCIS. IN JUNE, THOSE NOT WERE PUBLISHED ON A PROGRSIVE CATHOLIC WEB SE. FRANCIS WAS QUOTED AS SAYG, “THE ‘GAY LOBBY’ IS MENTNED, AND IS TE, IS THERE … WE NEED TO SEE WHAT WE N DO.”A CLOSET WH NO DOORGAY LOBBY? IT PENDS ON WHAT YOU MEAN. THE TERM ULD REFER TO A SHADOWY GROUP LIKE THE ILLUMATI, WHOSE MEMBERS QUIETLY EXERCISE SUPREME POWER. THIS IS THE SORT OF IA THAT LIGHTS UP THE TIL HATS OF NSPIRACY THEORISTS, AND DON’T PTURE THE SLOW, FDAL, EFFICIENT WORKGS OF THE VATIN. “GAY LOBBY” IS REALLY SHORTHAND FOR SOMETHG ELSE. AT THE VATIN, A SIGNIFINT NUMBER OF GAY PRELAT AND OTHER GAY CLERICS ARE POSNS OF GREAT THORY. THEY MAY NOT ACT AS A LLECTIVE BUT ARE AWARE OF ONE ANOTHER’S EXISTENCE. AND THEY HAB A SECRETIVE HERWORLD, BEE HOMOSEXUALY IS OFFICIALLY NMNED. THOUGH THE NUMBER OF GAY PRITS GENERAL, AND SPECIFILLY AMONG THE CURIA ROME, IS UNKNOWN, THE PROPORTN IS MUCH HIGHER THAN THE GENERAL POPULATN. BETWEEN 20 AND 60 PERCENT OF ALL CATHOLIC PRITS ARE GAY, ACRDG TO ONE TIMATE CED BY DONALD B. COZZENS HIS WELL-REGARD THE CHANGG FACE OF THE PRITHOOD. FOR GAY CLERICS AT THE VATIN, ONE FUNDAMENTAL NDN OF THEIR POWER, AND OF THEIR PRITHOOD, IS SILENCE, AT LEAST PUBLIC, ABOUT WHO THEY REALLY ARE.CLERICS HAB THIS SILENCE A VARIETY OF WAYS. A FEW KEEP THEIR SEXUALY ENTIRELY PRIVATE AND ADHERE TO THE VOW OF CELIBACY. MANY OTHERS QUIETLY LET THEMSELV BE KNOWN AS GAY TO A LIMED GREE, TO SOME LLEAGU, OR TO SOME LAYPEOPLE, OR BOTH; SOMETIM THEY REMA CELIBATE AND SOMETIM THEY DO NOT. A THIRD WAY, PERHAPS THE LEAST MON BUT CERTALY THE MOST VISIBLE, VOLV LIVG A DOUBLE LIFE. OCSNALLY SUCH CLERICS ARE UNMASKED, UALLY BY STORI THE ITALIAN PRS. IN 2010, FOR THE BETTER PART OF A MONTH, ONE STRAIGHT JOURNALIST PRETEND TO BE THE BOYIEND OF A GAY MAN WHO ACTED AS A “HONEYPOT” AND ENTRAPPED ACTUAL GAY PRITS VAR SEXUAL SUATNS. (THE RDAL VIR OF ROME WAS GIVEN THE TASK OF VTIGATG. THE PRITS’ FAT ARE UNKNOWN.)THERE ARE AT LEAST A FEW GAY RDALS, CLUDG ONE WHOSE LONG-TERM PARTNER IS A WELL-KNOWN MISTER A PROTTANT NOMATN. THERE IS THE NOTOR MONSIGNOR NICKNAMED “JSI,” WHO LIK TO VIS A PONTIFIL UNIVERSY AND PASS OUT HIS BS RD TO 25-YEAR-OLD NOVIC. (AMONG THE MONSIGNOR’S PICKUP L: “DO YOU WANT TO SEE THE BED OF JOHN XXIII?”) THERE’S THE SUPPOSEDLY STRAIGHT MAN WHO HAS A SECRET LIFE AS A GAY PROSTUTE ROME AND POSTS PHOTOGRAPHS ONLE OF THE NERMOST RRIDORS OF THE VATIN. WHETHER HE RECEIVED THIS PRIVILEGED ACCS OM SOME IEND OR FAY MEMBER, OR OM A CLIENT, IS IMPOSSIBLE TO SAY; TO SEE A KNOWN RENT BOY BLACK LEATHER ON A PRIVATE VATIN BALNY DO RAISE AN EYEBROW.THE VATIN HOLDS SECRETS SO TIGHTLY THAT N MAKE FORT MEA LOOK LIKE A SLOPPY DNK. YET DOZENS OF TERVIEWS WH CURRENT AND FORMER GAY PRITS, GAY MONKS, VETERAN VATIN JOURNALISTS, ITALIAN ARISTOCRATS, AND GAY MEN AT ROMAN GYMS, BARS, NIGHTCLUBS, SEX CLUBS, AND RTRANTS SUGGT THAT, RIVETG AS THE MORE GRAPHIC STORI ARE, THEY NVEY A LIMED PART OF THE REALY OF GAY CLERIL LIFE ROME. TO BE GAY THE VATIN IS NO GUARANTEE OF SUCCS, MARK OF BELONGG, OR SHORTCUT TO EROTIC TRIGUE. MOST BASILLY IS A SENTENCE OF ISOLATN. GAYS THE VATIN ARE CREATUR OF A CUTTHROAT BURECRACY WHOSE DOGMATIC WORLDVIEW NI OR NIGRAT THEIR OWN EXISTENCE. THEY LIVE A CLOSET THAT HAS NO DOOR. AMONG RECENT POP, BENEDICT MA THE MOST NCERTED EFFORT TO SHARPEN CHURCH DOCTRE ON HOMOSEXUALY, WHICH HE ONCE LLED “A MORE OR LS STRONG TENNCY ORRED TOWARD AN TRSIC MORAL EVIL.” HE TRIED TO CULL GAYS OM CLERIL RANKS, MOST NOTABLY 2005, WHEN MEN WH KNOWN “EP-SEATED HOMOSEXUAL TENNCI” WERE PROHIBED OM BEG ORDAED, EVEN IF THEY WERE CELIBATE.DENUNCIATN AND EXPOSURE HAVE MA GAY PRITS FIGUR OF FASCATN—THOUGH LS AS PEOPLE THAN AS SYMBOLS—PECIALLY TO THE SECULAR FAR LEFT AND THE RELIG FAR RIGHT. BOTH SIS FD THE CLERICS TO BE POLILLY EFUL. THE LEFT THEM TO LEVEL CHARG OF HYPOCRISY. THE RIGHT SE THEM AS A STA NEED OF REMOVAL. THEY ALL GOT A SHOCK LATE LAST JULY WHEN FRANCIS MA HIS FIRST DIRECT PUBLIC STATEMENT ABOUT GAY CLERICS SCE BEG POPE.DURG AN IMPROMPTU PRS NFERENCE ABOARD THE PAPAL JET, EN ROUTE OM R JANEIRO TO ROME AFTER HIS FIRST OVERSEAS TRIP, FRANCIS WAS ASKED ABOUT THE SO-LLED GAY LOBBY. HIS RPONSE, LIVERED WH SUAL HUMOR AND PUNCTUATED BY SHGS AND S, WAS AS FOLLOWS: “SO MUCH HAS BEEN WRTEN ABOUT THE GAY LOBBY. I STILL HAVEN’T N TO ANYONE THE VATIN WHO HAS SHOWN ME AN INTY RD WH ‘GAY’ ON .” HE PANTOMIMED HOLDG UP SUCH A RD HIS LEFT HAND AND THEN WENT ON: “WHEN YOU FD YOURSELF WH A PERSON LIKE THAT, YOU HAVE TO DISTGUISH BETWEEN THE FACT OF A PERSON BEG GAY AND THE FACT OF SOMEBODY FORMG A LOBBY. . . . IF A PERSON IS GAY AND IS SEARCHG FOR THE LORD AND HAS GOODWILL, WHO AM I TO JUDGE HIM?”MOST POPULARVANY FAIR’S “IT’S RAG TEENS” COVER AT 20: WHERE ARE THEY NOW?BY SAVANNAH WALSHREMEMBERG SéAD O’CONNOR’S SUBLIME MIC AND RIGHTEO RAGEBY MIKE HOGANRED, WHE & ROYAL BLUE MAY BE “THE MOST EXPENSIVE B OF FAN FICTN EVER”BY SAVANNAH WALSHHE SPOKE THE WORDS WH A PALPABLE WARMTH, UNLIKE THE EMBATTLED, WARY TONE THAT OTHER POP HAVE ADOPTED. THIS MAY WELL HAVE BEEN THE FIRST TIME HISTORY THAT A POPE HAS PUBLICLY UTTERED THE TERM “GAY”—THE WORD THAT MOST MEN WHO FEEL ROMANTIC LOVE FOR OTHER MEN E TO SCRIBE THEMSELV—STEAD OF THE PATHOLOGIZG 19TH-CENTURY MEDIL TERM “HOMOSEXUAL.” THEN, A LENGTHY TERVIEW WH A JU JOURNAL, THE POPE WENT FURTHER, STATG THAT THE CHURCH’S MISTRY SHOULD NOT BE “OBSSED” WH A FEW DIVISIVE MORAL ISSU SUCH AS ABORTN AND GAY MARRIAGE. “WHEN GOD LOOKS AT A GAY PERSON, DO HE ENDORSE THE EXISTENCE OF THIS PERSON WH LOVE, OR REJECT AND NMN THIS PERSON?” THE POPE ASKED RHETORILLY. “WE MT ALWAYS NSIR THE PERSON.”EVERY MAN FOR HIMSELFTAL OF GAYS THE VATIN HAVE BEEN TOLD FOR MORE THAN A THOAND YEARS. POPE JOHN XII, WHO REIGNED OM 955 TO 964, WAS ACCED OF HAVG SEX WH MEN AND BOYS AND TURNG THE PAPAL PALACE “TO A WHOREHOE.” WHILE TRYG TO PERSUA A BBLER’S APPRENTICE TO HAVE SEX WH HIM, POPE BONIFACE VIII, WHO REIGNED OM 1294 TO 1303, WAS SAID TO HAVE ASSURED THE BOY THAT TWO MEN HAVG SEX WAS “NO MORE A S THAN BBG YOUR HANDS TOGETHER.” AFTER PL II, WHO REIGNED OM 1464 TO 1471, DIED OF A HEART ATTACK—WHILE FLAGRANTE LICTO WH A PAGE, ACRDG TO ONE MOR—HE WAS SUCCEED BY SIXT IV, WHO KEPT A NEPHEW AS HIS LOVER (AND MA THE NEPHEW A RDAL AT AGE 17). SOME SUCH STORI ARE BETTER SUBSTANTIATED THAN OTHERS. EVEN WHILE THEIR RELIABILY IS QUTNABLE, THEY MONSTRATE THAT PLAYG THE GAY RD (EVEN IF YOU YOURSELF ARE GAY) IS AN ANCIENT CURIAL TACTIC. “THERE ARE CLOSETED GAY PRITS WHO ARE VIPERS,” OBSERV THE THEOLOGIAN MARK D. JORDAN, THE THOR OF THE SILENCE OF SODOM: HOMOSEXUALY MORN CATHOLICISM. “THEY ARE REALLY POISONO PEOPLE, AND THEY WORK OUT THEIR OWN NER MONOLOGY BY GETTG TO POSNS POWER AND EXERCISG ” AGAST OTHER GAY MEN, WOMEN, AND ANYONE WHOM THEY PERCEIVE TO BE A THREAT. “ALONGSI THAT ARE SUFFERG PRITS WHO SEEM SCERE ALL THE WAY DOWN, WHO ARE TRYG TO BE FAHFUL TO GOD, AND ALSO TO TAKE RE OF PEOPLE AND CHANGE THE STUTN. THEY ARE THE ON WHO ARE ALWAYS FOTTEN, AND READ OUT OF THE STORY OM BOTH SIS.”THE CATHOLIC PRITHOOD’S NTEMPORARY GAY CULTURAL MEMORY BEGS THE MIDDLE OF THE LAST CENTURY. WHEN PL VI ASSUMED THE THRONE, 1963, BY ONE ACUNT HE TOOK HIS PAPAL NAME NOT OM ANY PRECSOR BUT OM A FORMER LOVER, A FILM ACTOR. THAT AT LEAST WAS THE NTENTN OF THE PROVOTIVE GAY FRENCH WRER ROGER PEYREFTE, WHOSE 1976 ALLEGATNS ABOUT PL VI ED SUCH A STIR THAT PL TOOK TO THE BALNY OF ST. PETER’S TO NOUNCE THE “HORRIBLE AND SLANRO” ACCATNS. PL LOOKED A LGHGSTOCK, AND THE CURIA LEARNED A LSON: BETTER TO IGNORE SUCH CHARG THAN TO AMPLIFY THEM BY NIAL.MEANWHILE, SOME GAY CLERICS WERE OUTGROWG THE “PARTICULAR IENDSHIPS” THAT HAD LONG BEEN PART OF MONASTIC LIFE AND JOG THE SEXUAL REVOLUTN. BY THE 1970S, THE CENTER OF GAY LIFE ROME WAS A CISG AREA LLED MONTE CAPRO, ON THE CAPOLE HILL. AT A SMALL PARTY OF GAY MONKS AND THEIR IENDS ROME LAST SUMMER, NVERSATN TURNED TO RELLECTNS OF THAT PLACE. “IT WAS LIKE S OWN LTLE CY,” ONE MONK REMEMBERED, “WH HUNDREDS OF PEOPLE—EVERYONE OM SEMARIANS TO BISHOPS—AND THEN THERE WERE, NVENIENTLY, BH OFF TO THE SI.” THE FELLOW FEELG AT MONTE CAPRO WAS PROMISED BY THE AIR OF SECRECY AROUND THE PLACE. THE AREA WAS A TARGET FOR MUGGERS AND THIEV, WHO FIGURED RIGHTLY THAT CLERICS WOULD MAKE IAL VICTIMS BEE THEY HAD MUCH TO LOSE BY THE PUBLIC ACT OF PRSG CHARG. ONE GAY FORMER SEMARIAN RELLED A NIGHT WHEN THREE MEN BEAT HIM UP AND STOLE HIS WALLET WHILE NUMERO MEN THE CROWD PARK STOOD BY. LEFT BLOODIED BY THE THIEV, THE SEMARIAN HOLLERED AT THE BYSTANRS, “THERE’S THREE OF THEM AND 300 OF !”HE TOLD ME THIS STORY, WH S ECHO OF THE PARABLE OF THE GOOD SAMARAN— WHICH A TRAVELER IS ROBBED, BEATEN, AND LEFT BY THE SI OF THE ROAD, AND P MEN DO NOTHG TO HELP HIM—TO ILLTRATE THE EVERY-MAN-FOR-HIMSELF DYNAMIC OF ROME’S GAY CLERIL CULTURE. GAY CLERICS OFTEN FAIL TO HELP ONE ANOTHER, HE SAYS, FOR THE SAME REASON THAT NO ONE TRIED TO HELP HIM THE NIGHT THAT HE WAS ROBBED: SOLIDARY ENTAILS THE RISK OF BEG OUTED.“LA MALETTA”SELF-CENTEREDNS N BREED A SENSE OF ENTLEMENT. “A CERTA PART OF THE CLERGY FEELS THAT NO ONE WILL RE WHAT THEY DO IF THEY ARE DISCREET,” SAYS MAR POLI, A PROMENT ITALIAN JOURNALIST AND LONGTIME VATIN RRPONNT, AND THE THOR OF SEVERAL BOOKS ABOUT THE PAPACY AND THE CHURCH. IN 2000, POLI PUBLISHED A BOOK-LENGTH TERVIEW WH AN ANONYMO GAY PRIT, ENTLED LA CONFSNE, REPUBLISHED 2006 AS IO, PRETE GAY (I, GAY PRIT). “RUMORS ARE O.K., BUT NOT SNDAL,” POLI OBSERV.THERE HAS BEEN PLENTY OF SNDAL, THOUGH. IN 2007, MONSIGNOR TOMMASO STENI MET A YOUNG MAN AN ONLE CHAT ROOM AND VED HIM TO HIS VATIN OFFICE, WHERE THEIR NVERSATN— WHICH STENI NIED THAT GAY SEX WAS A S, TOUCHED THE MAN’S LEG, AND SAID, “YOU’RE SO HOT”—WAS SECRETLY VIOTAPED AND THEN BROADST ON ITALIAN TELEVISN. (STENI TRIED TO PERSUA ITALIAN NEWSPAPERS THAT HE’D JT BEEN PLAYG ALONG ORR “TO STUDY HOW PRITS ARE ENSNARED” TO GAY SEX AS PART OF “A DIABOLIL PLAN BY GROUPS OF SATANISTS.” HE WAS SPEND OM HIS VATIN POSN.) IN 2006 A PRIT THE VATIN’S SECRETARIAT OF STATE JURED POLICE OFFICERS AND SMASHED TO POLICE RS DURG A HIGH-SPEED CHASE THROUGH A DISTRICT ROME KNOWN FOR TRANSSEXUALS AND PROSTUT. (THE PRIT WAS ACQUTED ON ALL CHARG AFTER CLAIMG THAT HE FLED BEE HE FEARED HE WAS BEG KIDNAPPED.) IN A 2010 VTIGATN OF NTRACT FIXG FOR NSTCTN PROJECTS, ITALIAN POLICE WIRETAPS HAPPENED TO TCH A PAPAL HER AND GENTLEMAN OF HIS HOLS, ANGELO BALDUCCI, ALLEGEDLY HIRG MALE PROSTUT, SOME OF WHOM MAY HAVE BEEN SEMARIANS, THROUGH A NIGERIAN MEMBER OF A VATIN CHOIR. (THE CHOIR MEMBER WAS DISMISSED; BALDUCCI WAS NVICTED ON RPTN CHARG.)POPE BENEDICT WAS MORED TO HAVE ORRED THAT PRELAT WHO WERE LIVG DOUBLE LIV BE RETIRED OR REMOVED OM ROME. MAR POLI SPECULAT THAT PERHAPS AS MANY AS 30 WERE EASED OUT. THE MOST SENR PRELATE TO LOSE HIS JOB WAS CARDAL KEH O’BRIEN, THE ARCHBISHOP OF ST. ANDREWS AND EDBURGH. A STNCH OPPONENT OF GAY MARRIAGE WHO HAD PUBLICLY LLED HOMOSEXUALY A “MORAL GRADATN,” O’BRIEN WAS BROUGHT DOWN FEBARY BY THREE PRITS AND ONE EX-PRIT WHO ACCED HIM OF “APPROPRIATE NTACT” AND PREDATORY BEHAVR WHEN HE WAS THEIR BISHOP. THE EPISOS REUNTED BY THE FOUR MEN VOLVED SUCH NSISTENT PATTERNS OVER MORE THAN 30 YEARS THAT SOME OF O’BRIEN’S LLEAGU SURELY MT HAVE HAD THEIR SPICNS. WHEN I ASKED ONE ARCHBISHOP IF HE HAD KNOWN THAT O’BRIEN WAS GAY, HOWEVER, THE ARCHBISHOP SAID HE HAD NOT. WHEN I ASKED THE ARCHBISHOP WHO AMONG THE OTHER RDALS WERE O’BRIEN’S CLOST IENDS, HE LDLY ANSWERED, “I DON’T THK HE HAD ANY.” EVERY MAN FOR HIMSELF, ED.EVEN BENEDICT HAS BEEN DOGGED BY MORS THAT HE IS GAY. THOUGH NO SOLID EVINCE HAS EVER EMERGED, IS TREATED AS MON KNOWLEDGE BY MANY ROME, WHO CE STEREOTYP GALORE, CLUDG HIS FSY FASHN SENSE (HIS BY-RED SLIPPERS, HIS “VALENTO RED” P); HIS CSA TO NAIL DOWN WHY “HOMOSEXUAL ACTNS” ARE “TRSILLY DISORRED” (MANY CLOSETED GAY MEN, OM ROY COHN TO CARDAL O’BRIEN, HAVE MA THE MOST EXTRAORDARY EFFORTS TO NMN HOMOSEXUALY); AND HIS BROMANCE WH ARCHBISHOP GE GäNSWE, HIS LONGTIME PERSONAL SECRETARY. (NICKNAMED BEL GRG, OR “GEO GEE,” THE GGED GäNSWE SKIS, PLAYS TENNIS, AND PILOTS AIRPLAN. HE SPIRED DONATELLA VERSACE’S WTER 2007 “CLERGYMAN LLECTN.”) PERHAPS THE MOST VIC OF BENEDICT’S NICKNAM IS “LA MALETTA.” THE WORD MEANS “CURSED” ITALIAN, BUT THE PUN RIV OM THE FACT THAT THE TERM MEANS THE EXACT OPPOSE OF BENEDICT’S OWN NAME ITALIAN, BENETTO, WHICH MEANS “BLSED”—WH A GENR CHANGE ACHIEVED THE PROCS.NEHER BENEDICT NOR GäNSWE HAS PUBLICLY RPOND TO ANY OF THIS. THE CHATTER’S MA NSEQUENCE HAS BEEN NOT TO HURT THEM PERSONALLY (THOUGH SURELY MT, AT LEAST A LTLE) BUT TO HELP LOCK DOWN GENUE NVERSATN ABOUT THE EVERYDAY LIV OF GAY PRITS, WHETHER CELIBATE OR NOT. IT IS MORE OR LS IMPOSSIBLE FOR GAY CLERICS TO ARTICULATE THEIR AFFECTNS ANY WAY THAT DO NOT AMOUNT TO WHAT AN ANGLO-SAXON MD MIGHT SEE AS HYPOCRISY. YET SUCH A DUALISTIC EXISTENCE IS VERY MUCH A PART OF CHURCH TRADN. “THIS IS ALMOST AN ASPECT OF THE CATHOLIC RELIGN SELF,” COLM TóIBíN HAS WRTEN AN SAY ON GAYS AND CATHOLICISM, “THIS BS OF KNOWG AND NOT KNOWG SOMETHG ALL AT THE SAME TIME, KEEPG AN ILLN SEPARATE OM THE TTH.” IT IS ALSO TYPIL OF ITALIAN SEXUALY GENERAL, AND ITALIAN HOMOSEXUALY PARTICULAR. THIS IS THE UNTRY THAT TOLERATED THE SEXUAL PAS AND SERIAL DS OF FORMER PRIME MISTER SILV BERLNI WH SRCELY A HT OF PROTT OM THE HIERARCHY OF THE CATHOLIC CHURCH. THIS IS THE UNTRY WHERE UNTLS MARRIED WOMEN IGNORE THEIR HBANDS’ DALLIANC WH MEN.LA BELLA FIGURATHE CULTURE OF CEPTN OPERAT ACRDG TO SIGNALS AND NVENTNS BY WHICH GAY CLERICS NAVIGATE THEIR LIV. CAMP IS PERHAPS THE MOST POWERFUL AND PERVASIVE OF THE S, THOUGH N BE DIFFICULT TO FE. IRONIC, EFFEMATE SELF-MOCKERY—ALLOWG PRITS TO EXERCISE SOME LIMED REBELLN AGAST THEIR OWN ISOLATN AND VISIBILY—IS ONE FORM OF CLERIL MP. FOR FEAR OF LGHG OUT LOUD, PRITS SOMETIM TRY TO AVOID MAKG EYE NTACT WH ONE ANOTHER CHURCH WHEN HYMNS WH TL LIKE “HAIL, HOLY QUEEN” ARE SUNG. AFTER BERGOGL BEME POPE FRANCIS, YOUTUBE CLIPS OF A SEQUENCE OM FELLI’S ROMA WENT VIRAL AMONG GAY PRITS ROME. IT SHOWS A PLA-LOOKG RDAL WATCHG A NWAY SHOW OF OVER-THE-TOP CLERIL ATTIRE—WHICH ENDS WHEN THE PARTED POPE STEALS THE SHOW BY APPEARG THE GLOR GARB OF A SUN GOD.ONE GAY FORMER PRIT, WHO STILL LIV ROME, SCRIB CLERIL MP AS “A NATURAL WAY OF EXPRSG [GAY INTY] WHILE CELIBATE.” SOCIALLY, HE SAYS, IS “A KEY THAT UNLOCKS A FURTHER ELEMENT OF TST.” THERE’S NOTHG EARTH-SHATTERG ABOUT THIS—’S WHAT EVERY STUTN DO—BUT “THE CHURCH HAS A LOT MORE EXPERIENCE AND PRACTICE AT PROTECTG SELF. AS FAR AS THAT GO,” HE SAYS, WH A NOD TO COLE PORTER, “THEY’RE THE TOPS.”WHEN THIS FORMER PRIT BEGAN HIS TN ROME, A PROFSOR TOLD HIM, “THERE SHOULDN’T BE A SUBCULTURE. WE ARE ALL MALE HERE, SO ’S APPROPRIATE TO SAY ‘HER’ OR TO REFER TO OTHER MEN WH FEME PRONOUNS.” THE FORMER PRIT SAYS THAT “NONE OF THIS STCTN WAS ABOUT OUR BEHAVR. IT WAS ABOUT HOW WE SHOULD APPEAR.” HE BELIEV THAT SUCH STCTN ILLTRAT A LTLE-NOTED CHANGE OFFICIAL THKG ABOUT CATHOLIC INTY, AND WHAT SHOULD BE AT S CENTER. “THE SYMBOLS OF THE CHURCH SHOULD BE THE SACRAMENTS,” SUCH AS THE EUCHARIST, HE ARGU, BUT OVER TIME THE PEOPLE WHO ADMISTER THE SACRAMENTS HAVE E TO DISPLACE THEM PROMENCE. IN OTHER WORDS, “THE PRITS BEE THE SYMBOLS” THAT ARE EMED MOST IMPORTANT. WHICH TURN PUTS A PREMIUM ON OUTWARD APPEARANCE AND ENFORC NFORMY TO A CERTA OFFICIAL IAL. THE CHURCH, THEREFORE, IS CREASGLY PREOCCUPIED WH MAKG SURE S LEARS ARE GROOMED OM AMONG “BOYS WHO LOOK HOLY: PLAYG DRS-UP AT THE AMERIN COLLEGE AND GOG DOWN TO PIAZZA NAVONA AT NE P.M. TO SAY THEIR BREVIARI.” SACRAMENTS AND LURGY, THE FORMER PRIT SAYS, ARE “THE KERNEL OF WHAT MAK THE CHURCH IMPORTANT. THIS IS WHAT MAK POWERFUL. NOT THE PROTECTN OF MEDIEVAL STUTNS.”YET THE CHURCH, AS ITALIAN SOCIETY, ’S OFTEN THE SE THAT RIGHT APPEARANCE—LA BELLA FIGURA—IS ALL. IN EVERY TAIL, PARTI CELEBRATG APPOTMENT TO THE VATIN AND OTHER HIGH CHURCH OFFIC N BE LAVISH—“LIKE A POSH GIRL’S WEDDG”—WH MANY CLERICS ATTENDANCE BEG “GAY MEN WEARG EVERYTHG HANDMA, PERFECT, QUEER AS ,” OBSERV ONE PROMENT FIGURE THE ROMAN ART WORLD. BUT LA BELLA FIGURA MATTERS JT AS MUCH AT ORDARY MOMENTS. ESPECIALLY FOR CLERICS WHO BREAK THE VOW OF CELIBACY, IS CCIAL TO KEEP UP APPEARANC THE NORMAL URSE OF LIFE.GAY SNAS ARE GOOD PLAC TO MEET OTHER GAY PRITS AND MONKS. THE BT TIM TO FD CLERICS AT THE SNAS ARE LATE AFTERNOON OR EVENG ON THURSDAYS (WHEN PONTIFIL UNIVERSI HAVE NO CLASS) OR SUNDAYS (AFTER MASS). SOME GAY CELIBATE CLERICS E THE SNAS NOT FOR SEX BUT TO EXPERIENCE A SENSE OF FELLOWSHIP WH OTHERS LIKE THEMSELV. ONE LLS HIS SNA VISS “SOMETHG TO NFIRM MYSELF AS I AM.” (ROME HAS FEW GAY BARS, AND JOHN MOSS, THE AMERIN OWNER OF THE LARGT AND OLST ONE, THE HANGAR, SAYS THAT THE RISE OF INTER CISG, BED WH THE VATIN’S CRACKDOWN ON GAY PRITS, HAS CIMATED HIS GAY CLERIL CLIENTELE. “THERE ED TO BE SO MANY SEMARIANS—SUCH BETIFUL MEN—WHO ME TO THE BAR, AND WE WOULD EVEN GET HIRED TO TAKE PARTI TO THEM SOME OF THE RELIG HO. NOW THERE’S NOBODY.”)ONCE YOU MAKE A NNECTN, ’S POSSIBLE TO E YOUR MONASTERY CELL FOR SEXUAL ASSIGNATNS, AS LONG AS YOU DON’T MAKE MUCH NOISE. “YOU N SNEAK PEOPLE , NO PROBLEM,” ONE GAY MONK SAYS, “BUT TRY TO AVOID NSISTENT PATTERNS OF MOVEMENT.” IN OTHER WORDS, DON’T VE A GUY OVER ON THE SAME DAY OF THE WEEK, OR AT THE SAME TIME OF DAY, VERY OFTEN. THAT SAID, “NO ONE HAS SEX” WH OTHER RINTS OF HIS OWN MONASTERY, A FORMER MONK TOLD ME, “BEE IS LIKE A BIG BROTHER HOE. EVERYONE KNOWS EVERYTHG.”THE MORE SENR THE CLERIC, THE MORE LIKELY HE MAY BE TO PLAY LOOSE WH THE L. ONE LEADG VATIN REPORTER (WHO SAYS THAT, AMONG JOURNALISTS ON THE BEAT, THE TWO MOST MON TOPICS FOR GOSSIP ABOUT CHURCH OFFICIALS ARE “WHO’S GAY AND WHO’S ON THE TAKE”) SCRIB THE LOGIC OF SUCH BEHAVR. “EVERYTHG IS PERMTED BEE YOU ARE A PRCE OF THE URT,” HE SAYS. “IF YOU ARE TLY LOYAL AND ENTSTED WH THE HIGHT LEVEL OF RPONSIBILY, THERE HAS TO BE AN EXTRA LIBERTY ATTACHED ORR TO BE ABLE TO PULL OFF.”VOWS OF CELIBACY DON’T SAY ANYTHG ABOUT EYE NDY. SOME CURIA OFFICIALS ARE SAID TO HANDPICK EXTREMELY HANDSOME MEN FOR MENIAL JOBS ORR TO MAKE VATIN CY MORE SCENIC. A LAYMAN I KNOW WHOSE JOB REQUIR EQUENT TRIPS TO THE VATIN ED TO ENJOY FLIRTG WH A MCULAR GO-GO BOY WHO DANCED ON THE BAR AT A GAY NIGHTCLUB ROME. ONE DAY AT THE VATIN, THIS LAYMAN WAS AMAZED TO SEE THE DANCER OUT OF NTEXT, DRSED THE UNIFORM OF A SECURY GUARD. WHEN HE MA TO GREET THE MAN, THE GUARD SIGNALED HIM TO STAY BACK, RAISG A FGER TO HIS LIPS A QUIET “SHHHHH … ”WHERE SILENCE N’T STRICTLY BE KEPT, WORD GAM N PARTMENTALIZE THE TTH. IN THE VATIN OFFICE OF A MONSIGNOR WHO I’D BEEN TOLD MIGHT HAVE SOME FIRSTHAND KNOWLEDGE NCERNG RECENT GAY SNDALS THE CHURCH, I ASKED, POT-BLANK, “ARE YOU GAY?,” AND HE SERENELY ANSWERED, “NO.” I REPLIED, “I WONR, IF A PRIT IS HOMOSEXUAL—BUT DO NOT PARTICIPATE MASTREAM SECULAR GAY CULTURE—ULD HE SAY THAT HE IS NOT ‘GAY’ AND STILL THK HE’S TELLG THE TTH?” “WHAT AN TERTG QUTN,” THE MONSIGNOR SAID, IMMEDIATELY STANDG UP AND GTURG ME TO THE DOOR. “I’M AAID I DON’T HAVE ANY MORE TIME TO TALK.” HE SISTED ON PERSONALLY WALKG ME OUT OF THE BUILDG, AND AS WE PASSED ALONG A GRAND HALLWAY I REMARKED UPON S BETY. “I DON’T SEE ,” HE REPLIED ARCHLY. “TO ME, OTHER HALLWAYS ARE ‘BETIFUL.’ ” WAS THIS AN NOCENT REMARK, OR A D ANSWER TO MY QUTN? SOMETIM TALKG TO GAY PRITS FEELS LIKE READG STORI BY B.FOR THOSE WHO WANT , ANIZED WORKS N PROVI SOME GROUNDG. A FEW SMALL GROUPS OF GAY CATHOLICS ROME OPERATE PUBLICLY, BUT BEE ANYONE N E TO THEIR MEETGS, N BE RISKY FOR PRITS, PECIALLY VATIN OFFICIALS, TO BE PART OF THEM. ONE PRIVATE GROUP OF ABOUT 50 GAY PRITS AND LAYMEN MEETS ONCE A YEAR, FOR A KD OF RETREAT. A VATIN PRIT I MET WH—HE ACTUALLY VED ME TO STOP BY HIS OFFICE NEAR ST. PETER’S BEE HE SAID HE WANTED “TO SHOW THAT THIS IS NO SECRET,” THOUGH ’S SECRET ENOUGH THAT HE N’T BE NAMED—IS VOLVED WH THIS GROUP, AS PART OF AN UNOFFICIAL MISTRY ADDN TO HIS OFFICIAL DUTI. HE SAYS THAT HIS SUPERRS, CLUDG AT LEAST ONE VERY PROMENT VATIN OFFICIAL, HAVE LONG KNOWN HE IS GAY, AND HAVE EVEN PROMOTED HIM SCE LEARNG THAT FACT.YET GAYS THE VATIN, LIKE SPI TELLIGENCE SERVIC, HAB BOX WH BOX. THE PRIT WHO HELPS WH THE GROUP OF 50 RAISED HIS EYEBROWS WHEN I REPEATED TO HIM SOMETHG AN ARCHBISHOP HAD TOLD ME. “I KNOW A PRIT WHO MISTERS TO PEOPLE THE CURIA THAT SUATN,” THE ARCHBISHOP SAID, THOUGH “HE IS NOT ASSIGNED OFFICIALLY.”MOST POPULARVANY FAIR’S “IT’S RAG TEENS” COVER AT 20: WHERE ARE THEY NOW?BY SAVANNAH WALSHREMEMBERG SéAD O’CONNOR’S SUBLIME MIC AND RIGHTEO RAGEBY MIKE HOGANRED, WHE & ROYAL BLUE MAY BE “THE MOST EXPENSIVE B OF FAN FICTN EVER”BY SAVANNAH WALSH“THAT IS NOT ME,” THE PRIT SAID, AMAZED. “I WONR WHO ULD BE.”DON’T ASK, DON’T TELLAS YOU WOULD EXPECT, THE PRIT I MET THE SNA LOOKS RATHER DIFFERENT WH VTMENTS ON. WHEN I WALKED TO CHURCH A FEW DAYS LATER, FOR SUNDAY-MORNG MASS, HE WAS THE CELEBRANT—EVEN THOUGH, WHEN WE MET, HE HAD SAID HE WAS ABOUT TO LEAVE TOWN. MAYBE HIS PLANS HAD CHANGED AGA.HE WAS PREACHG A HOY ON THE GOSPEL READG, THE PARABLE OF THE GOOD SAMARAN. THE PRIT TOLD THE NGREGATN THAT THIS STORY WAS A CHALLENGE. A CHALLENGE TO ACCEPT “RISK FAVOR OF PASSN.” A CHALLENGE TO “LOOK MORE EPLY AT ‘WHO IS MY NEIGHBOR?’ ” A CHALLENGE TO BE GENERO, UNLIKE “THE RELIG, SPIRUAL PERSON WHO DID NOTHG TO HELP.” LISTENG TO THE WORDS, I ULD NOT HELP BUT WONR: WHERE, THAT PARABLE, DO THIS PRIT SEE HIMSELF?FROM THE DAY AFTER THE NCLAVE END—WHEN FRANCIS WENT BACK TO HIS HOTEL AND PERSONALLY CHECKED OUT, PAID HIS BILL, AND PICKED UP HIS SUSE—THE NEW POPE HAS SURPRISED PEOPLE WH HIS ACTNS. DURG HOLY WEEK, HE WENT TO A JUVENILE PRISON AND WASHED THE FEET OF MAT, CLUDG TWO GIRLS AND TWO MLIMS. ONE MORNG, HE REPORTEDLY MA A SANDWICH FOR THE SWISS GUARD WHO HAD STOOD SENTEL OUTSI HIS ROOM ALL NIGHT. HE VED 200 HOMELS PEOPLE FOR DNER THE VATIN GARNS.FRANCIS HAS ALSO SAID SOME THGS THAT, OM A POPE’S MOUTH, SEEM EXTRAORDARY SIMPLY BEE THEY ARE SO DOWN TO EARTH—LIKE HIS CHOICE TO END ONE HOY WH THE UNTRADNAL EXHORTATN “HAVE A GOOD LUNCH!” YET THE FIRST TIME THIS POPE’S WORDS, RATHER THAN HIS ACTNS, MA SIGNIFINT HEADL WAS NNECTN WH HIS MENTS ABOUT THE “GAY LOBBY.”AS NOTED, THE PHRASE FIRST GAED CURRENCY BEFORE FRANCIS ME ON THE SCENE, BUT RETURNED TO PUBLIC DISCSN JT AS HE GOT SER ABOUT WHAT MAY BE A HALLMARK OF HIS PAPACY: A CLEANUP OF VATIN RPTN. THE SPE OF HIS NCERN ABOUT ABE OF POWER SEEMS TOTAL. HE IS REFORMG EVERYTHG OM THE VATIN BANK’S BOOKKEEPG TO THE NTENTS OF THE PAPAL WARDROBE.FOR A LONG TIME, GAY PRITS HAVE MA FOR NVENIENT SPEGOATS AND HANDY PAWNS CHURCH POWER GAM. ALL OF THEM, WHETHER ACTIVELY OR PASSIVELY, HAVE HELPED CREATE THE ROL FOR THEMSELV, AND THEY N HARDLY IMAGE A DIFFERENT REALY—UNLS THEY WERE TO EMERGE OM THE CLOSET AND GET THROWN OUT OF THE PRITHOOD. ONE MONK TOLD ME, “A LOT OF WILL NOT NMN. BUT NOT SPEAK OUT. WE’RE A SYSTEM THAT NTROLS . THE LONGER YOU’RE , THE MORE NTROLS, THE MORE YOU ASSUME THE CLERIL POSN.” THEY KEEP HOPE SMALL, OR SNUFF ENTIRELY. THEY BELIEVE THAT NOTHG AND NO ONE ULD MAKE THE CHURCH SAFE FOR THEM. MIGHT THIS CHANGE? “NOT MY LIFETIME,” THEY ALL SAY.YET, BEFORE HE BEME FRANCIS, JE BERGOGL WAS A JU. AS *NATNAL CATHOLIC REPORTER’*S JOHN ALLEN, THE AN OF THE AMERIN VATIN-WATCHERS, TOLD ME, “THERE’S A KD OF CATHOLIC VERSN OF ‘DON’T ASK, DON’T TELL’ THAT THE JUS WOULD BE PARTICULARLY NOTED FOR. THERE ARE GUYS THE JU WORLD THAT EVERYBODY KNOWS ARE GAY, BUT THEY DON’T GO AROUND MAKG A BIG AL OUT OF .” WHILE POPE BENEDICT’S VATIN ATTEMPTED TO MAKE SURE GAYS KNEW THEY WERE UNWELE THE PRITHOOD, THE JUS VELOPED A REPUTATN FOR TOLERATG AND EVEN PROTECTG THEIR GAY BRETHREN.IN THE LLEGIAL JU SPIR, FRANCIS APPOTED EIGHT RDALS TO SERVE AS HIS RE ADVISERS ON SIGNIFINT ISSU, AND THE G YEARS, THIS GROUP MAY HAVE AS MUCH FLUENCE ON THE SUATN OF GAYS THE PRITHOOD AS FRANCIS HIMSELF. WHEN I ASKED AN ARCHBISHOP HOW HE THKS THE RDALS’ NVERSATN ABOUT THEIR GAY BROTHERS WILL GO, HE ANSWERED WH REFERENCE NOT TO THE HOLY SPIR BUT TO THE GOD OF FORTUNE. “RIGHT NOW THE SURT THG I N SAY IS THAT THERE’S CHANGE THE AIR,” HE SAID. “IF YOU ULD SAY WHAT WILL HAPPEN, YOU ULD SAY WHO’D W THE LOTTERY.”THE NEXT TIME I HEARD MENTN OF A LOTTERY WAS A FEW DAYS LATER, AT DNER WH A GAY MONK WHO TOLD ME THAT HE HAD RECENTLY FALLEN LOVE FOR THE FIRST TIME, WH A MAN. “AM I A CLERIL HYPOCRE? I GUS ONE WAY I AM,” HE SAID, THE MIDDLE OF A LONG AND EMOTNAL NARRATIVE, BEFORE BRGG THE NVERSATN TO BEDROCK REALY. “BUT I’M OVER 60. I HAVE NOTHG FANCIALLY. I N’T LEAVE.” AND THEN HE SAID, “IF I WON THE POWERBALL LOTTO, I WOULD LEAVE.”NOTE: AN ALTERATN WAS MA THE PASSAGE ABOUT MAR POLI’S LA CONFSNE, REPUBLISHED AS IO, PRETE GAY, ORR TO GIVE A MORE ACCURATE SCRIPTN OF THE BOOK.MICHAEL JOSEPH GROSS
• POPE BENEDICT'S RIGNATN LKED TO GAY NCLAVE: REPORT
• LEADG CATHOLIC BLOGGER SE MORE EVINCE THAT THE POPE IS GAY
• EX-POPE SAYS GAY MARRIAGE WILL BRG ABOUT THE END OF THE WORLD
• THE POPE IS NOT GAY
• POPE FRANCIS SAYS HOMOSEXUALY "IS NOT A CRIME," BUT GAY SEX IS "A S"
• EX-POPE BENEDICT DCRIB POWER OF VATIN'S 'GAY LOBBY' NEW MEMOIR
• REPORT: POPE RIGNED WAKE OF GAY PRIT SNDAL
• RETIRED POPE BENEDICT TELLS HOW VATIN'S 'GAY LOBBY' WAS STOPPED

‘IS POPE BENEDICT XVI GAY?’ WONRS ANDREW SULLIVAN

Of urse, this kd of work is not herently homosexual; but I have known so many reprsed gay men who n only live whout severe pa the world if they create a perfect abstractn of what is, and what their role is . While I’m not remotely qualified to ope on whether the pury of the Pope’s theology is a sign of his reprsed homosexualy, Sullivan is right that Benedict is a cloth horse. And even were he to want to, the former Cardal Ratzger would be unable to to persuasively fend himself om Angelo Quattrochi‘s assertn that he is “simply the most reprsed, implod gay the world.

This is part of what Ratzger wrote about their efforts, and about our muny:"Given the failure of the repeated attempts of the Church's legimate thori to rolve the problems prented by the wrgs and pastoral activi of the two thors, the Congregatn for the Doctre of the Fah is obliged to clare for the good of the Catholic fahful that the posns advanced by Sister Jeanne Gramick and Father Robert Nugent regardg the trsic evil of homosexual acts and the objective disorr of the homosexual clatn are doctrally unacceptable bee they do not fahfully nvey the clear and nstant teachg of the Catholic Church this area. '"For the reasons, Sister Jeanne Gramick, SSND, and Father Robert Nugent, SDS, are permanently prohibed om any pastoral work volvg homosexual persons and are eligible, for an untermed perd, for any office their rpective relig stut.

This, spe the fact that there had long been mors that Benedict, who fancied red Prada shows and luxur surroundgs, was gay he rigned 2013, as part of the directive as to how Benedict would exist after he left the papacy, was agreed that he uld ntue to wear the whe rob, be lled "Pope emer, " and that he would live wh his long-time secretary Monsignor Ge Ganswe.

POPE BENEDICT GAY? GE GAENSWE RELATNSHIP SPARKS RUMORS VATIN

Sullivan who has wrten about the fact that Benedict might be gay -- though says he may not have acted upon -- qutned the unual livg arrangement, "So Benedict's handsome male pann will ntue to live wh him, while workg for the other Pope durg the day. John XII (955-964)This church lear would mol his papacy on the le of Roman Emperor Elagabol, a potentially transgenr liberte, and would host gay i the papal palace, acrdg to historian Wayne Dyn’s Encyclopedia of Homosexualy.

21 GAY POPES, CARDINALS AND ASSORTED CATHOLIC LEADERS.

Benedict IX (1033-1045; 1047-1048)Consired by many to be the first “primarily homosexual” pope, Benedict would be acced of turng the Vatin to a “male brothel, ” acrdg to rearcher Lynne Yamaguchi Fletcher.

Boniface VIII (1294-1303)Kg Philip IV of France, an enemy of the pope, would dispatch spi to gather rmatn on Boniface, and based on reports om Roman aristocrats, he would publicly acce the pope of sodomy, acrdg to Who’s Who Gay and Lbian History: From Antiquy to World War II. John XXII (1316-1334)While there’s ls bountiful evince than wh other pop, John XXII ma the list of gay pop clud Noel Gar’s 1964 tome Jonathan to Gi: The Homsexual History. This may have been an suatn about a predisposn toward fancy cloth and fe thgs, or uld have been a timatn of the church lear’s homosexualy, the latter of which earned Pl II k Arno Karlen’s Sexualy and Homosexualy.

But Sixt, born Franc lla Rovere, also would be known for favorism, cludg elevatg his male lover (and nephew) Petro Riaro to Cardal, acrdg to Louis Crompton’s Homosexualy and Civilizatn. Cardal Francis Joseph Spellman (1939-1967)The rdal, who was archbishop of New York at the time of his ath, was surround for years by mors of his homosexualy, wh bgrapher John Cooney statg he terviewed at least four dividuals wh personal knowledge of Spellman’s leangs, acrdg to journalist Michelangelo Signorile.

THE VATIN’S SECRET LIFEDPE HEADL ABOUT A POWERFUL “GAY LOBBY” WH THE VATIN, AND A NEW POPE PROMISG REFORM, THE CATHOLIC CHURCH’S GAY RDALS, MONKS, AND OTHER CLERGY HAB A HIDN HERWORLD. IN ROME, THE THOR LEARNS HOW THEY NAVIGATE THE DANGERO PARADOX OF THEIR LIV.BY MICHAEL JOSEPH GROSSNOVEMBER 15, 2013SAVE THIS STORYSAVESAVE THIS STORYSAVENAKED BUT FOR THE TOWEL AROUND HIS WAIST, A MAN OF A CERTA AGE SAT BY HIMSELF, BENT SLIGHTLY FORWARD AS IF PRAYG, A RNER OF THE SNA AT A GYM CENTRAL ROME. I HAD NOT MET THIS MAN BEFORE, BUT AS I ENTERED THE SNA, I THOUGHT I REGNIZED HIM OM PHOTOGRAPHS. HE LOOKED LIKE A PRIT WH WHOM I’D RRPOND AFTER MUTUAL IENDS PUT TOUCH, A MAN I HAD WANTED TO NSULT ABOUT GAY CLERICS THE VATIN CURIA. MY IENDS TOLD ME THAT THIS PRIT WAS GAY, POLILLY SAVVY, AND WELL NNECTED TO THE GAY CHURCH HIERARCHY ROME.BUT THIS ULDN’T BE THAT PRIT. HE HAD TOLD ME THAT HE’D BE AWAY AND ULDN’T MEET. YET AS I LOOKED AT THE MAN MORE CLOSELY, I SAW THAT WAS FELY HIM. WHEN WE WERE ALONE, I SPOKE HIS NAME, TELLG HIM ME. “I THOUGHT YOU WERE OUT OF THE UNTRY,” I SAID. “HOW LUCKY FOR ME: YOU’RE HERE!” STARTLED, THE PRIT TALKED FAST. Y, HIS PLANS HAD CHANGED, HE SAID, BUT HE WAS LEAVG AGA THE NEXT DAY AND WOULD RETURN ONLY AFTER I WAS GONE.DURG THE PREV FEW DAYS, I HAD HEARD A LOT ABOUT THIS MAN. I HAD HEARD THAT HE IS A GOSSIP, A SOCIAL OPERATOR WHOSE LENDAR IS A BLUR OF DRKS AND DNERS WH RDALS AND ARCHBISHOPS, PRCIPSAS AND PERSONAL TRAERS. SUPPOSEDLY, HE LOV TO DISH MALE LLEAGU WH MPY FEMALE NICKNAM. BUT I WOULD NEVER HAVE THE EXPERIENCE FIRSTHAND. THE PRIT WAS EMBARRASSED: TO HAVE BEEN CHANCED UPON AT THIS PLACE; TO HAVE HAD HIS SMALL EVASNS REVEALED. THE ENUNTER WAS AWKWARD. NO, HE DID NOT WISH TO DISCS THE SUBJECT I WAS TERTED . NO, HE DID NOT THK THE SUBJECT WORTHWHILE. THE THGS HE MA CLEAR. WE LEFT THE SNA AND, AFTER FURTHER NVERSATN, CIVIL BUT STILTED, WENT OUR SEPARATE WAYS.I ULD UNRSTAND HIS DISFORT. BUT ROME THE DAYS THE TOPIC OF GAY PRITS THE UPPER REACH OF THE HOLY SEE IS HARD TO AVOID. IN FEBARY OF THIS YEAR, NOT LONG BEFORE THE COLLEGE OF CARDALS GATHERED THE SISTE CHAPEL FOR THE NCLAVE TO CHOOSE THE 266TH POPE, THE LARGT ITALIAN DAILY NEWSPAPER, LA REPUBBLI, REPORTED THAT A “GAY LOBBY”—A MORE OR LS UNIFIED BAL OF HOMOSEXUAL POWER BROKERS—MIGHT BE OPERATG SI THE VATIN. ACRDG TO THE NEWSPAPER, THE POSSIBLE EXISTENCE OF THIS GAY LOBBY WAS AMONG THE MANY SECRETS SCRIBED A TWO-VOLUME, 300-PAGE REPORT BOUND RED AND PRENTED TO POPE BENEDICT XVI BY THREE RDALS HE HAD APPOTED TO VTIGATE THE AFFAIR KNOWN AS “VATILEAKS.” THAT SNDAL, WHICH RAISED H SPICNS OF ENMIC RPTN WH THE CURIA, HAD BROKEN THE PREV YEAR AFTER PAOLO GABRIELE, THE PAPAL BUTLER, MA OFF WH SOME OF BENEDICT’S PRIVATE PAPERS AND LEAKED THEM TO THE PRS.THE TERNAL VATILEAKS REPORT, ACRDG TO LA REPUBBLI, DITED THAT GAY CLERICS THE VATIN WERE BEG BLACKMAILED. THE REPORT WAS ALSO SAID TO DOCUMENT THE ALLEGED GAY LOBBY’S SOCIAL STCTURE AND CTOMS. YET TAILS NCERNG GAY PRITS’ GATHERGS ADD UP TO OLD NEWS: THE TAL HAD BEEN TOLD ARTICL PREVLY PUBLISHED BY LA REPUBBLI SELF. SENSATNALLY, THE NEWSPAPER SUGGTED THAT BENEDICT’S NCERN ABOUT THE ALLEGED GAY LOBBY WAS ONE REASON HE HAD SUDNLY RIGNED THE PAPACY.MONTHS LATER, ANOTHER LEAK OF NFINTIAL RMATN BROUGHT THE SUBJECT OF A GAY LOBBY BACK TO THE NEWS. SOMEONE TOOK NOT DURG WHAT WAS MEANT TO BE A PRIVATE MEETG BETWEEN LAT-AMERIN CHURCH LEARS AND THE NEW POPE, THE FORMER RDAL JE BERGOGL, ARCHBISHOP OF BUENOS AIR, NOW KNOWN AS FRANCIS. IN JUNE, THOSE NOT WERE PUBLISHED ON A PROGRSIVE CATHOLIC WEB SE. FRANCIS WAS QUOTED AS SAYG, “THE ‘GAY LOBBY’ IS MENTNED, AND IS TE, IS THERE … WE NEED TO SEE WHAT WE N DO.”A CLOSET WH NO DOORGAY LOBBY? IT PENDS ON WHAT YOU MEAN. THE TERM ULD REFER TO A SHADOWY GROUP LIKE THE ILLUMATI, WHOSE MEMBERS QUIETLY EXERCISE SUPREME POWER. THIS IS THE SORT OF IA THAT LIGHTS UP THE TIL HATS OF NSPIRACY THEORISTS, AND DON’T PTURE THE SLOW, FDAL, EFFICIENT WORKGS OF THE VATIN. “GAY LOBBY” IS REALLY SHORTHAND FOR SOMETHG ELSE. AT THE VATIN, A SIGNIFINT NUMBER OF GAY PRELAT AND OTHER GAY CLERICS ARE POSNS OF GREAT THORY. THEY MAY NOT ACT AS A LLECTIVE BUT ARE AWARE OF ONE ANOTHER’S EXISTENCE. AND THEY HAB A SECRETIVE HERWORLD, BEE HOMOSEXUALY IS OFFICIALLY NMNED. THOUGH THE NUMBER OF GAY PRITS GENERAL, AND SPECIFILLY AMONG THE CURIA ROME, IS UNKNOWN, THE PROPORTN IS MUCH HIGHER THAN THE GENERAL POPULATN. BETWEEN 20 AND 60 PERCENT OF ALL CATHOLIC PRITS ARE GAY, ACRDG TO ONE TIMATE CED BY DONALD B. COZZENS HIS WELL-REGARD THE CHANGG FACE OF THE PRITHOOD. FOR GAY CLERICS AT THE VATIN, ONE FUNDAMENTAL NDN OF THEIR POWER, AND OF THEIR PRITHOOD, IS SILENCE, AT LEAST PUBLIC, ABOUT WHO THEY REALLY ARE.CLERICS HAB THIS SILENCE A VARIETY OF WAYS. A FEW KEEP THEIR SEXUALY ENTIRELY PRIVATE AND ADHERE TO THE VOW OF CELIBACY. MANY OTHERS QUIETLY LET THEMSELV BE KNOWN AS GAY TO A LIMED GREE, TO SOME LLEAGU, OR TO SOME LAYPEOPLE, OR BOTH; SOMETIM THEY REMA CELIBATE AND SOMETIM THEY DO NOT. A THIRD WAY, PERHAPS THE LEAST MON BUT CERTALY THE MOST VISIBLE, VOLV LIVG A DOUBLE LIFE. OCSNALLY SUCH CLERICS ARE UNMASKED, UALLY BY STORI THE ITALIAN PRS. IN 2010, FOR THE BETTER PART OF A MONTH, ONE STRAIGHT JOURNALIST PRETEND TO BE THE BOYIEND OF A GAY MAN WHO ACTED AS A “HONEYPOT” AND ENTRAPPED ACTUAL GAY PRITS VAR SEXUAL SUATNS. (THE RDAL VIR OF ROME WAS GIVEN THE TASK OF VTIGATG. THE PRITS’ FAT ARE UNKNOWN.)THERE ARE AT LEAST A FEW GAY RDALS, CLUDG ONE WHOSE LONG-TERM PARTNER IS A WELL-KNOWN MISTER A PROTTANT NOMATN. THERE IS THE NOTOR MONSIGNOR NICKNAMED “JSI,” WHO LIK TO VIS A PONTIFIL UNIVERSY AND PASS OUT HIS BS RD TO 25-YEAR-OLD NOVIC. (AMONG THE MONSIGNOR’S PICKUP L: “DO YOU WANT TO SEE THE BED OF JOHN XXIII?”) THERE’S THE SUPPOSEDLY STRAIGHT MAN WHO HAS A SECRET LIFE AS A GAY PROSTUTE ROME AND POSTS PHOTOGRAPHS ONLE OF THE NERMOST RRIDORS OF THE VATIN. WHETHER HE RECEIVED THIS PRIVILEGED ACCS OM SOME IEND OR FAY MEMBER, OR OM A CLIENT, IS IMPOSSIBLE TO SAY; TO SEE A KNOWN RENT BOY BLACK LEATHER ON A PRIVATE VATIN BALNY DO RAISE AN EYEBROW.THE VATIN HOLDS SECRETS SO TIGHTLY THAT N MAKE FORT MEA LOOK LIKE A SLOPPY DNK. YET DOZENS OF TERVIEWS WH CURRENT AND FORMER GAY PRITS, GAY MONKS, VETERAN VATIN JOURNALISTS, ITALIAN ARISTOCRATS, AND GAY MEN AT ROMAN GYMS, BARS, NIGHTCLUBS, SEX CLUBS, AND RTRANTS SUGGT THAT, RIVETG AS THE MORE GRAPHIC STORI ARE, THEY NVEY A LIMED PART OF THE REALY OF GAY CLERIL LIFE ROME. TO BE GAY THE VATIN IS NO GUARANTEE OF SUCCS, MARK OF BELONGG, OR SHORTCUT TO EROTIC TRIGUE. MOST BASILLY IS A SENTENCE OF ISOLATN. GAYS THE VATIN ARE CREATUR OF A CUTTHROAT BURECRACY WHOSE DOGMATIC WORLDVIEW NI OR NIGRAT THEIR OWN EXISTENCE. THEY LIVE A CLOSET THAT HAS NO DOOR. AMONG RECENT POP, BENEDICT MA THE MOST NCERTED EFFORT TO SHARPEN CHURCH DOCTRE ON HOMOSEXUALY, WHICH HE ONCE LLED “A MORE OR LS STRONG TENNCY ORRED TOWARD AN TRSIC MORAL EVIL.” HE TRIED TO CULL GAYS OM CLERIL RANKS, MOST NOTABLY 2005, WHEN MEN WH KNOWN “EP-SEATED HOMOSEXUAL TENNCI” WERE PROHIBED OM BEG ORDAED, EVEN IF THEY WERE CELIBATE.DENUNCIATN AND EXPOSURE HAVE MA GAY PRITS FIGUR OF FASCATN—THOUGH LS AS PEOPLE THAN AS SYMBOLS—PECIALLY TO THE SECULAR FAR LEFT AND THE RELIG FAR RIGHT. BOTH SIS FD THE CLERICS TO BE POLILLY EFUL. THE LEFT THEM TO LEVEL CHARG OF HYPOCRISY. THE RIGHT SE THEM AS A STA NEED OF REMOVAL. THEY ALL GOT A SHOCK LATE LAST JULY WHEN FRANCIS MA HIS FIRST DIRECT PUBLIC STATEMENT ABOUT GAY CLERICS SCE BEG POPE.DURG AN IMPROMPTU PRS NFERENCE ABOARD THE PAPAL JET, EN ROUTE OM R JANEIRO TO ROME AFTER HIS FIRST OVERSEAS TRIP, FRANCIS WAS ASKED ABOUT THE SO-LLED GAY LOBBY. HIS RPONSE, LIVERED WH SUAL HUMOR AND PUNCTUATED BY SHGS AND S, WAS AS FOLLOWS: “SO MUCH HAS BEEN WRTEN ABOUT THE GAY LOBBY. I STILL HAVEN’T N TO ANYONE THE VATIN WHO HAS SHOWN ME AN INTY RD WH ‘GAY’ ON .” HE PANTOMIMED HOLDG UP SUCH A RD HIS LEFT HAND AND THEN WENT ON: “WHEN YOU FD YOURSELF WH A PERSON LIKE THAT, YOU HAVE TO DISTGUISH BETWEEN THE FACT OF A PERSON BEG GAY AND THE FACT OF SOMEBODY FORMG A LOBBY. . . . IF A PERSON IS GAY AND IS SEARCHG FOR THE LORD AND HAS GOODWILL, WHO AM I TO JUDGE HIM?”MOST POPULARVANY FAIR’S “IT’S RAG TEENS” COVER AT 20: WHERE ARE THEY NOW?BY SAVANNAH WALSHREMEMBERG SéAD O’CONNOR’S SUBLIME MIC AND RIGHTEO RAGEBY MIKE HOGANRED, WHE & ROYAL BLUE MAY BE “THE MOST EXPENSIVE B OF FAN FICTN EVER”BY SAVANNAH WALSHHE SPOKE THE WORDS WH A PALPABLE WARMTH, UNLIKE THE EMBATTLED, WARY TONE THAT OTHER POP HAVE ADOPTED. THIS MAY WELL HAVE BEEN THE FIRST TIME HISTORY THAT A POPE HAS PUBLICLY UTTERED THE TERM “GAY”—THE WORD THAT MOST MEN WHO FEEL ROMANTIC LOVE FOR OTHER MEN E TO SCRIBE THEMSELV—STEAD OF THE PATHOLOGIZG 19TH-CENTURY MEDIL TERM “HOMOSEXUAL.” THEN, A LENGTHY TERVIEW WH A JU JOURNAL, THE POPE WENT FURTHER, STATG THAT THE CHURCH’S MISTRY SHOULD NOT BE “OBSSED” WH A FEW DIVISIVE MORAL ISSU SUCH AS ABORTN AND GAY MARRIAGE. “WHEN GOD LOOKS AT A GAY PERSON, DO HE ENDORSE THE EXISTENCE OF THIS PERSON WH LOVE, OR REJECT AND NMN THIS PERSON?” THE POPE ASKED RHETORILLY. “WE MT ALWAYS NSIR THE PERSON.”EVERY MAN FOR HIMSELFTAL OF GAYS THE VATIN HAVE BEEN TOLD FOR MORE THAN A THOAND YEARS. POPE JOHN XII, WHO REIGNED OM 955 TO 964, WAS ACCED OF HAVG SEX WH MEN AND BOYS AND TURNG THE PAPAL PALACE “TO A WHOREHOE.” WHILE TRYG TO PERSUA A BBLER’S APPRENTICE TO HAVE SEX WH HIM, POPE BONIFACE VIII, WHO REIGNED OM 1294 TO 1303, WAS SAID TO HAVE ASSURED THE BOY THAT TWO MEN HAVG SEX WAS “NO MORE A S THAN BBG YOUR HANDS TOGETHER.” AFTER PL II, WHO REIGNED OM 1464 TO 1471, DIED OF A HEART ATTACK—WHILE FLAGRANTE LICTO WH A PAGE, ACRDG TO ONE MOR—HE WAS SUCCEED BY SIXT IV, WHO KEPT A NEPHEW AS HIS LOVER (AND MA THE NEPHEW A RDAL AT AGE 17). SOME SUCH STORI ARE BETTER SUBSTANTIATED THAN OTHERS. EVEN WHILE THEIR RELIABILY IS QUTNABLE, THEY MONSTRATE THAT PLAYG THE GAY RD (EVEN IF YOU YOURSELF ARE GAY) IS AN ANCIENT CURIAL TACTIC. “THERE ARE CLOSETED GAY PRITS WHO ARE VIPERS,” OBSERV THE THEOLOGIAN MARK D. JORDAN, THE THOR OF THE SILENCE OF SODOM: HOMOSEXUALY MORN CATHOLICISM. “THEY ARE REALLY POISONO PEOPLE, AND THEY WORK OUT THEIR OWN NER MONOLOGY BY GETTG TO POSNS POWER AND EXERCISG ” AGAST OTHER GAY MEN, WOMEN, AND ANYONE WHOM THEY PERCEIVE TO BE A THREAT. “ALONGSI THAT ARE SUFFERG PRITS WHO SEEM SCERE ALL THE WAY DOWN, WHO ARE TRYG TO BE FAHFUL TO GOD, AND ALSO TO TAKE RE OF PEOPLE AND CHANGE THE STUTN. THEY ARE THE ON WHO ARE ALWAYS FOTTEN, AND READ OUT OF THE STORY OM BOTH SIS.”THE CATHOLIC PRITHOOD’S NTEMPORARY GAY CULTURAL MEMORY BEGS THE MIDDLE OF THE LAST CENTURY. WHEN PL VI ASSUMED THE THRONE, 1963, BY ONE ACUNT HE TOOK HIS PAPAL NAME NOT OM ANY PRECSOR BUT OM A FORMER LOVER, A FILM ACTOR. THAT AT LEAST WAS THE NTENTN OF THE PROVOTIVE GAY FRENCH WRER ROGER PEYREFTE, WHOSE 1976 ALLEGATNS ABOUT PL VI ED SUCH A STIR THAT PL TOOK TO THE BALNY OF ST. PETER’S TO NOUNCE THE “HORRIBLE AND SLANRO” ACCATNS. PL LOOKED A LGHGSTOCK, AND THE CURIA LEARNED A LSON: BETTER TO IGNORE SUCH CHARG THAN TO AMPLIFY THEM BY NIAL.MEANWHILE, SOME GAY CLERICS WERE OUTGROWG THE “PARTICULAR IENDSHIPS” THAT HAD LONG BEEN PART OF MONASTIC LIFE AND JOG THE SEXUAL REVOLUTN. BY THE 1970S, THE CENTER OF GAY LIFE ROME WAS A CISG AREA LLED MONTE CAPRO, ON THE CAPOLE HILL. AT A SMALL PARTY OF GAY MONKS AND THEIR IENDS ROME LAST SUMMER, NVERSATN TURNED TO RELLECTNS OF THAT PLACE. “IT WAS LIKE S OWN LTLE CY,” ONE MONK REMEMBERED, “WH HUNDREDS OF PEOPLE—EVERYONE OM SEMARIANS TO BISHOPS—AND THEN THERE WERE, NVENIENTLY, BH OFF TO THE SI.” THE FELLOW FEELG AT MONTE CAPRO WAS PROMISED BY THE AIR OF SECRECY AROUND THE PLACE. THE AREA WAS A TARGET FOR MUGGERS AND THIEV, WHO FIGURED RIGHTLY THAT CLERICS WOULD MAKE IAL VICTIMS BEE THEY HAD MUCH TO LOSE BY THE PUBLIC ACT OF PRSG CHARG. ONE GAY FORMER SEMARIAN RELLED A NIGHT WHEN THREE MEN BEAT HIM UP AND STOLE HIS WALLET WHILE NUMERO MEN THE CROWD PARK STOOD BY. LEFT BLOODIED BY THE THIEV, THE SEMARIAN HOLLERED AT THE BYSTANRS, “THERE’S THREE OF THEM AND 300 OF !”HE TOLD ME THIS STORY, WH S ECHO OF THE PARABLE OF THE GOOD SAMARAN— WHICH A TRAVELER IS ROBBED, BEATEN, AND LEFT BY THE SI OF THE ROAD, AND P MEN DO NOTHG TO HELP HIM—TO ILLTRATE THE EVERY-MAN-FOR-HIMSELF DYNAMIC OF ROME’S GAY CLERIL CULTURE. GAY CLERICS OFTEN FAIL TO HELP ONE ANOTHER, HE SAYS, FOR THE SAME REASON THAT NO ONE TRIED TO HELP HIM THE NIGHT THAT HE WAS ROBBED: SOLIDARY ENTAILS THE RISK OF BEG OUTED.“LA MALETTA”SELF-CENTEREDNS N BREED A SENSE OF ENTLEMENT. “A CERTA PART OF THE CLERGY FEELS THAT NO ONE WILL RE WHAT THEY DO IF THEY ARE DISCREET,” SAYS MAR POLI, A PROMENT ITALIAN JOURNALIST AND LONGTIME VATIN RRPONNT, AND THE THOR OF SEVERAL BOOKS ABOUT THE PAPACY AND THE CHURCH. IN 2000, POLI PUBLISHED A BOOK-LENGTH TERVIEW WH AN ANONYMO GAY PRIT, ENTLED LA CONFSNE, REPUBLISHED 2006 AS IO, PRETE GAY (I, GAY PRIT). “RUMORS ARE O.K., BUT NOT SNDAL,” POLI OBSERV.THERE HAS BEEN PLENTY OF SNDAL, THOUGH. IN 2007, MONSIGNOR TOMMASO STENI MET A YOUNG MAN AN ONLE CHAT ROOM AND VED HIM TO HIS VATIN OFFICE, WHERE THEIR NVERSATN— WHICH STENI NIED THAT GAY SEX WAS A S, TOUCHED THE MAN’S LEG, AND SAID, “YOU’RE SO HOT”—WAS SECRETLY VIOTAPED AND THEN BROADST ON ITALIAN TELEVISN. (STENI TRIED TO PERSUA ITALIAN NEWSPAPERS THAT HE’D JT BEEN PLAYG ALONG ORR “TO STUDY HOW PRITS ARE ENSNARED” TO GAY SEX AS PART OF “A DIABOLIL PLAN BY GROUPS OF SATANISTS.” HE WAS SPEND OM HIS VATIN POSN.) IN 2006 A PRIT THE VATIN’S SECRETARIAT OF STATE JURED POLICE OFFICERS AND SMASHED TO POLICE RS DURG A HIGH-SPEED CHASE THROUGH A DISTRICT ROME KNOWN FOR TRANSSEXUALS AND PROSTUT. (THE PRIT WAS ACQUTED ON ALL CHARG AFTER CLAIMG THAT HE FLED BEE HE FEARED HE WAS BEG KIDNAPPED.) IN A 2010 VTIGATN OF NTRACT FIXG FOR NSTCTN PROJECTS, ITALIAN POLICE WIRETAPS HAPPENED TO TCH A PAPAL HER AND GENTLEMAN OF HIS HOLS, ANGELO BALDUCCI, ALLEGEDLY HIRG MALE PROSTUT, SOME OF WHOM MAY HAVE BEEN SEMARIANS, THROUGH A NIGERIAN MEMBER OF A VATIN CHOIR. (THE CHOIR MEMBER WAS DISMISSED; BALDUCCI WAS NVICTED ON RPTN CHARG.)POPE BENEDICT WAS MORED TO HAVE ORRED THAT PRELAT WHO WERE LIVG DOUBLE LIV BE RETIRED OR REMOVED OM ROME. MAR POLI SPECULAT THAT PERHAPS AS MANY AS 30 WERE EASED OUT. THE MOST SENR PRELATE TO LOSE HIS JOB WAS CARDAL KEH O’BRIEN, THE ARCHBISHOP OF ST. ANDREWS AND EDBURGH. A STNCH OPPONENT OF GAY MARRIAGE WHO HAD PUBLICLY LLED HOMOSEXUALY A “MORAL GRADATN,” O’BRIEN WAS BROUGHT DOWN FEBARY BY THREE PRITS AND ONE EX-PRIT WHO ACCED HIM OF “APPROPRIATE NTACT” AND PREDATORY BEHAVR WHEN HE WAS THEIR BISHOP. THE EPISOS REUNTED BY THE FOUR MEN VOLVED SUCH NSISTENT PATTERNS OVER MORE THAN 30 YEARS THAT SOME OF O’BRIEN’S LLEAGU SURELY MT HAVE HAD THEIR SPICNS. WHEN I ASKED ONE ARCHBISHOP IF HE HAD KNOWN THAT O’BRIEN WAS GAY, HOWEVER, THE ARCHBISHOP SAID HE HAD NOT. WHEN I ASKED THE ARCHBISHOP WHO AMONG THE OTHER RDALS WERE O’BRIEN’S CLOST IENDS, HE LDLY ANSWERED, “I DON’T THK HE HAD ANY.” EVERY MAN FOR HIMSELF, ED.EVEN BENEDICT HAS BEEN DOGGED BY MORS THAT HE IS GAY. THOUGH NO SOLID EVINCE HAS EVER EMERGED, IS TREATED AS MON KNOWLEDGE BY MANY ROME, WHO CE STEREOTYP GALORE, CLUDG HIS FSY FASHN SENSE (HIS BY-RED SLIPPERS, HIS “VALENTO RED” P); HIS CSA TO NAIL DOWN WHY “HOMOSEXUAL ACTNS” ARE “TRSILLY DISORRED” (MANY CLOSETED GAY MEN, OM ROY COHN TO CARDAL O’BRIEN, HAVE MA THE MOST EXTRAORDARY EFFORTS TO NMN HOMOSEXUALY); AND HIS BROMANCE WH ARCHBISHOP GE GäNSWE, HIS LONGTIME PERSONAL SECRETARY. (NICKNAMED BEL GRG, OR “GEO GEE,” THE GGED GäNSWE SKIS, PLAYS TENNIS, AND PILOTS AIRPLAN. HE SPIRED DONATELLA VERSACE’S WTER 2007 “CLERGYMAN LLECTN.”) PERHAPS THE MOST VIC OF BENEDICT’S NICKNAM IS “LA MALETTA.” THE WORD MEANS “CURSED” ITALIAN, BUT THE PUN RIV OM THE FACT THAT THE TERM MEANS THE EXACT OPPOSE OF BENEDICT’S OWN NAME ITALIAN, BENETTO, WHICH MEANS “BLSED”—WH A GENR CHANGE ACHIEVED THE PROCS.NEHER BENEDICT NOR GäNSWE HAS PUBLICLY RPOND TO ANY OF THIS. THE CHATTER’S MA NSEQUENCE HAS BEEN NOT TO HURT THEM PERSONALLY (THOUGH SURELY MT, AT LEAST A LTLE) BUT TO HELP LOCK DOWN GENUE NVERSATN ABOUT THE EVERYDAY LIV OF GAY PRITS, WHETHER CELIBATE OR NOT. IT IS MORE OR LS IMPOSSIBLE FOR GAY CLERICS TO ARTICULATE THEIR AFFECTNS ANY WAY THAT DO NOT AMOUNT TO WHAT AN ANGLO-SAXON MD MIGHT SEE AS HYPOCRISY. YET SUCH A DUALISTIC EXISTENCE IS VERY MUCH A PART OF CHURCH TRADN. “THIS IS ALMOST AN ASPECT OF THE CATHOLIC RELIGN SELF,” COLM TóIBíN HAS WRTEN AN SAY ON GAYS AND CATHOLICISM, “THIS BS OF KNOWG AND NOT KNOWG SOMETHG ALL AT THE SAME TIME, KEEPG AN ILLN SEPARATE OM THE TTH.” IT IS ALSO TYPIL OF ITALIAN SEXUALY GENERAL, AND ITALIAN HOMOSEXUALY PARTICULAR. THIS IS THE UNTRY THAT TOLERATED THE SEXUAL PAS AND SERIAL DS OF FORMER PRIME MISTER SILV BERLNI WH SRCELY A HT OF PROTT OM THE HIERARCHY OF THE CATHOLIC CHURCH. THIS IS THE UNTRY WHERE UNTLS MARRIED WOMEN IGNORE THEIR HBANDS’ DALLIANC WH MEN.LA BELLA FIGURATHE CULTURE OF CEPTN OPERAT ACRDG TO SIGNALS AND NVENTNS BY WHICH GAY CLERICS NAVIGATE THEIR LIV. CAMP IS PERHAPS THE MOST POWERFUL AND PERVASIVE OF THE S, THOUGH N BE DIFFICULT TO FE. IRONIC, EFFEMATE SELF-MOCKERY—ALLOWG PRITS TO EXERCISE SOME LIMED REBELLN AGAST THEIR OWN ISOLATN AND VISIBILY—IS ONE FORM OF CLERIL MP. FOR FEAR OF LGHG OUT LOUD, PRITS SOMETIM TRY TO AVOID MAKG EYE NTACT WH ONE ANOTHER CHURCH WHEN HYMNS WH TL LIKE “HAIL, HOLY QUEEN” ARE SUNG. AFTER BERGOGL BEME POPE FRANCIS, YOUTUBE CLIPS OF A SEQUENCE OM FELLI’S ROMA WENT VIRAL AMONG GAY PRITS ROME. IT SHOWS A PLA-LOOKG RDAL WATCHG A NWAY SHOW OF OVER-THE-TOP CLERIL ATTIRE—WHICH ENDS WHEN THE PARTED POPE STEALS THE SHOW BY APPEARG THE GLOR GARB OF A SUN GOD.ONE GAY FORMER PRIT, WHO STILL LIV ROME, SCRIB CLERIL MP AS “A NATURAL WAY OF EXPRSG [GAY INTY] WHILE CELIBATE.” SOCIALLY, HE SAYS, IS “A KEY THAT UNLOCKS A FURTHER ELEMENT OF TST.” THERE’S NOTHG EARTH-SHATTERG ABOUT THIS—’S WHAT EVERY STUTN DO—BUT “THE CHURCH HAS A LOT MORE EXPERIENCE AND PRACTICE AT PROTECTG SELF. AS FAR AS THAT GO,” HE SAYS, WH A NOD TO COLE PORTER, “THEY’RE THE TOPS.”WHEN THIS FORMER PRIT BEGAN HIS TN ROME, A PROFSOR TOLD HIM, “THERE SHOULDN’T BE A SUBCULTURE. WE ARE ALL MALE HERE, SO ’S APPROPRIATE TO SAY ‘HER’ OR TO REFER TO OTHER MEN WH FEME PRONOUNS.” THE FORMER PRIT SAYS THAT “NONE OF THIS STCTN WAS ABOUT OUR BEHAVR. IT WAS ABOUT HOW WE SHOULD APPEAR.” HE BELIEV THAT SUCH STCTN ILLTRAT A LTLE-NOTED CHANGE OFFICIAL THKG ABOUT CATHOLIC INTY, AND WHAT SHOULD BE AT S CENTER. “THE SYMBOLS OF THE CHURCH SHOULD BE THE SACRAMENTS,” SUCH AS THE EUCHARIST, HE ARGU, BUT OVER TIME THE PEOPLE WHO ADMISTER THE SACRAMENTS HAVE E TO DISPLACE THEM PROMENCE. IN OTHER WORDS, “THE PRITS BEE THE SYMBOLS” THAT ARE EMED MOST IMPORTANT. WHICH TURN PUTS A PREMIUM ON OUTWARD APPEARANCE AND ENFORC NFORMY TO A CERTA OFFICIAL IAL. THE CHURCH, THEREFORE, IS CREASGLY PREOCCUPIED WH MAKG SURE S LEARS ARE GROOMED OM AMONG “BOYS WHO LOOK HOLY: PLAYG DRS-UP AT THE AMERIN COLLEGE AND GOG DOWN TO PIAZZA NAVONA AT NE P.M. TO SAY THEIR BREVIARI.” SACRAMENTS AND LURGY, THE FORMER PRIT SAYS, ARE “THE KERNEL OF WHAT MAK THE CHURCH IMPORTANT. THIS IS WHAT MAK POWERFUL. NOT THE PROTECTN OF MEDIEVAL STUTNS.”YET THE CHURCH, AS ITALIAN SOCIETY, ’S OFTEN THE SE THAT RIGHT APPEARANCE—LA BELLA FIGURA—IS ALL. IN EVERY TAIL, PARTI CELEBRATG APPOTMENT TO THE VATIN AND OTHER HIGH CHURCH OFFIC N BE LAVISH—“LIKE A POSH GIRL’S WEDDG”—WH MANY CLERICS ATTENDANCE BEG “GAY MEN WEARG EVERYTHG HANDMA, PERFECT, QUEER AS ,” OBSERV ONE PROMENT FIGURE THE ROMAN ART WORLD. BUT LA BELLA FIGURA MATTERS JT AS MUCH AT ORDARY MOMENTS. ESPECIALLY FOR CLERICS WHO BREAK THE VOW OF CELIBACY, IS CCIAL TO KEEP UP APPEARANC THE NORMAL URSE OF LIFE.GAY SNAS ARE GOOD PLAC TO MEET OTHER GAY PRITS AND MONKS. THE BT TIM TO FD CLERICS AT THE SNAS ARE LATE AFTERNOON OR EVENG ON THURSDAYS (WHEN PONTIFIL UNIVERSI HAVE NO CLASS) OR SUNDAYS (AFTER MASS). SOME GAY CELIBATE CLERICS E THE SNAS NOT FOR SEX BUT TO EXPERIENCE A SENSE OF FELLOWSHIP WH OTHERS LIKE THEMSELV. ONE LLS HIS SNA VISS “SOMETHG TO NFIRM MYSELF AS I AM.” (ROME HAS FEW GAY BARS, AND JOHN MOSS, THE AMERIN OWNER OF THE LARGT AND OLST ONE, THE HANGAR, SAYS THAT THE RISE OF INTER CISG, BED WH THE VATIN’S CRACKDOWN ON GAY PRITS, HAS CIMATED HIS GAY CLERIL CLIENTELE. “THERE ED TO BE SO MANY SEMARIANS—SUCH BETIFUL MEN—WHO ME TO THE BAR, AND WE WOULD EVEN GET HIRED TO TAKE PARTI TO THEM SOME OF THE RELIG HO. NOW THERE’S NOBODY.”)ONCE YOU MAKE A NNECTN, ’S POSSIBLE TO E YOUR MONASTERY CELL FOR SEXUAL ASSIGNATNS, AS LONG AS YOU DON’T MAKE MUCH NOISE. “YOU N SNEAK PEOPLE , NO PROBLEM,” ONE GAY MONK SAYS, “BUT TRY TO AVOID NSISTENT PATTERNS OF MOVEMENT.” IN OTHER WORDS, DON’T VE A GUY OVER ON THE SAME DAY OF THE WEEK, OR AT THE SAME TIME OF DAY, VERY OFTEN. THAT SAID, “NO ONE HAS SEX” WH OTHER RINTS OF HIS OWN MONASTERY, A FORMER MONK TOLD ME, “BEE IS LIKE A BIG BROTHER HOE. EVERYONE KNOWS EVERYTHG.”THE MORE SENR THE CLERIC, THE MORE LIKELY HE MAY BE TO PLAY LOOSE WH THE L. ONE LEADG VATIN REPORTER (WHO SAYS THAT, AMONG JOURNALISTS ON THE BEAT, THE TWO MOST MON TOPICS FOR GOSSIP ABOUT CHURCH OFFICIALS ARE “WHO’S GAY AND WHO’S ON THE TAKE”) SCRIB THE LOGIC OF SUCH BEHAVR. “EVERYTHG IS PERMTED BEE YOU ARE A PRCE OF THE URT,” HE SAYS. “IF YOU ARE TLY LOYAL AND ENTSTED WH THE HIGHT LEVEL OF RPONSIBILY, THERE HAS TO BE AN EXTRA LIBERTY ATTACHED ORR TO BE ABLE TO PULL OFF.”VOWS OF CELIBACY DON’T SAY ANYTHG ABOUT EYE NDY. SOME CURIA OFFICIALS ARE SAID TO HANDPICK EXTREMELY HANDSOME MEN FOR MENIAL JOBS ORR TO MAKE VATIN CY MORE SCENIC. A LAYMAN I KNOW WHOSE JOB REQUIR EQUENT TRIPS TO THE VATIN ED TO ENJOY FLIRTG WH A MCULAR GO-GO BOY WHO DANCED ON THE BAR AT A GAY NIGHTCLUB ROME. ONE DAY AT THE VATIN, THIS LAYMAN WAS AMAZED TO SEE THE DANCER OUT OF NTEXT, DRSED THE UNIFORM OF A SECURY GUARD. WHEN HE MA TO GREET THE MAN, THE GUARD SIGNALED HIM TO STAY BACK, RAISG A FGER TO HIS LIPS A QUIET “SHHHHH … ”WHERE SILENCE N’T STRICTLY BE KEPT, WORD GAM N PARTMENTALIZE THE TTH. IN THE VATIN OFFICE OF A MONSIGNOR WHO I’D BEEN TOLD MIGHT HAVE SOME FIRSTHAND KNOWLEDGE NCERNG RECENT GAY SNDALS THE CHURCH, I ASKED, POT-BLANK, “ARE YOU GAY?,” AND HE SERENELY ANSWERED, “NO.” I REPLIED, “I WONR, IF A PRIT IS HOMOSEXUAL—BUT DO NOT PARTICIPATE MASTREAM SECULAR GAY CULTURE—ULD HE SAY THAT HE IS NOT ‘GAY’ AND STILL THK HE’S TELLG THE TTH?” “WHAT AN TERTG QUTN,” THE MONSIGNOR SAID, IMMEDIATELY STANDG UP AND GTURG ME TO THE DOOR. “I’M AAID I DON’T HAVE ANY MORE TIME TO TALK.” HE SISTED ON PERSONALLY WALKG ME OUT OF THE BUILDG, AND AS WE PASSED ALONG A GRAND HALLWAY I REMARKED UPON S BETY. “I DON’T SEE ,” HE REPLIED ARCHLY. “TO ME, OTHER HALLWAYS ARE ‘BETIFUL.’ ” WAS THIS AN NOCENT REMARK, OR A D ANSWER TO MY QUTN? SOMETIM TALKG TO GAY PRITS FEELS LIKE READG STORI BY B.FOR THOSE WHO WANT , ANIZED WORKS N PROVI SOME GROUNDG. A FEW SMALL GROUPS OF GAY CATHOLICS ROME OPERATE PUBLICLY, BUT BEE ANYONE N E TO THEIR MEETGS, N BE RISKY FOR PRITS, PECIALLY VATIN OFFICIALS, TO BE PART OF THEM. ONE PRIVATE GROUP OF ABOUT 50 GAY PRITS AND LAYMEN MEETS ONCE A YEAR, FOR A KD OF RETREAT. A VATIN PRIT I MET WH—HE ACTUALLY VED ME TO STOP BY HIS OFFICE NEAR ST. PETER’S BEE HE SAID HE WANTED “TO SHOW THAT THIS IS NO SECRET,” THOUGH ’S SECRET ENOUGH THAT HE N’T BE NAMED—IS VOLVED WH THIS GROUP, AS PART OF AN UNOFFICIAL MISTRY ADDN TO HIS OFFICIAL DUTI. HE SAYS THAT HIS SUPERRS, CLUDG AT LEAST ONE VERY PROMENT VATIN OFFICIAL, HAVE LONG KNOWN HE IS GAY, AND HAVE EVEN PROMOTED HIM SCE LEARNG THAT FACT.YET GAYS THE VATIN, LIKE SPI TELLIGENCE SERVIC, HAB BOX WH BOX. THE PRIT WHO HELPS WH THE GROUP OF 50 RAISED HIS EYEBROWS WHEN I REPEATED TO HIM SOMETHG AN ARCHBISHOP HAD TOLD ME. “I KNOW A PRIT WHO MISTERS TO PEOPLE THE CURIA THAT SUATN,” THE ARCHBISHOP SAID, THOUGH “HE IS NOT ASSIGNED OFFICIALLY.”MOST POPULARVANY FAIR’S “IT’S RAG TEENS” COVER AT 20: WHERE ARE THEY NOW?BY SAVANNAH WALSHREMEMBERG SéAD O’CONNOR’S SUBLIME MIC AND RIGHTEO RAGEBY MIKE HOGANRED, WHE & ROYAL BLUE MAY BE “THE MOST EXPENSIVE B OF FAN FICTN EVER”BY SAVANNAH WALSH“THAT IS NOT ME,” THE PRIT SAID, AMAZED. “I WONR WHO ULD BE.”DON’T ASK, DON’T TELLAS YOU WOULD EXPECT, THE PRIT I MET THE SNA LOOKS RATHER DIFFERENT WH VTMENTS ON. WHEN I WALKED TO CHURCH A FEW DAYS LATER, FOR SUNDAY-MORNG MASS, HE WAS THE CELEBRANT—EVEN THOUGH, WHEN WE MET, HE HAD SAID HE WAS ABOUT TO LEAVE TOWN. MAYBE HIS PLANS HAD CHANGED AGA.HE WAS PREACHG A HOY ON THE GOSPEL READG, THE PARABLE OF THE GOOD SAMARAN. THE PRIT TOLD THE NGREGATN THAT THIS STORY WAS A CHALLENGE. A CHALLENGE TO ACCEPT “RISK FAVOR OF PASSN.” A CHALLENGE TO “LOOK MORE EPLY AT ‘WHO IS MY NEIGHBOR?’ ” A CHALLENGE TO BE GENERO, UNLIKE “THE RELIG, SPIRUAL PERSON WHO DID NOTHG TO HELP.” LISTENG TO THE WORDS, I ULD NOT HELP BUT WONR: WHERE, THAT PARABLE, DO THIS PRIT SEE HIMSELF?FROM THE DAY AFTER THE NCLAVE END—WHEN FRANCIS WENT BACK TO HIS HOTEL AND PERSONALLY CHECKED OUT, PAID HIS BILL, AND PICKED UP HIS SUSE—THE NEW POPE HAS SURPRISED PEOPLE WH HIS ACTNS. DURG HOLY WEEK, HE WENT TO A JUVENILE PRISON AND WASHED THE FEET OF MAT, CLUDG TWO GIRLS AND TWO MLIMS. ONE MORNG, HE REPORTEDLY MA A SANDWICH FOR THE SWISS GUARD WHO HAD STOOD SENTEL OUTSI HIS ROOM ALL NIGHT. HE VED 200 HOMELS PEOPLE FOR DNER THE VATIN GARNS.FRANCIS HAS ALSO SAID SOME THGS THAT, OM A POPE’S MOUTH, SEEM EXTRAORDARY SIMPLY BEE THEY ARE SO DOWN TO EARTH—LIKE HIS CHOICE TO END ONE HOY WH THE UNTRADNAL EXHORTATN “HAVE A GOOD LUNCH!” YET THE FIRST TIME THIS POPE’S WORDS, RATHER THAN HIS ACTNS, MA SIGNIFINT HEADL WAS NNECTN WH HIS MENTS ABOUT THE “GAY LOBBY.”AS NOTED, THE PHRASE FIRST GAED CURRENCY BEFORE FRANCIS ME ON THE SCENE, BUT RETURNED TO PUBLIC DISCSN JT AS HE GOT SER ABOUT WHAT MAY BE A HALLMARK OF HIS PAPACY: A CLEANUP OF VATIN RPTN. THE SPE OF HIS NCERN ABOUT ABE OF POWER SEEMS TOTAL. HE IS REFORMG EVERYTHG OM THE VATIN BANK’S BOOKKEEPG TO THE NTENTS OF THE PAPAL WARDROBE.FOR A LONG TIME, GAY PRITS HAVE MA FOR NVENIENT SPEGOATS AND HANDY PAWNS CHURCH POWER GAM. ALL OF THEM, WHETHER ACTIVELY OR PASSIVELY, HAVE HELPED CREATE THE ROL FOR THEMSELV, AND THEY N HARDLY IMAGE A DIFFERENT REALY—UNLS THEY WERE TO EMERGE OM THE CLOSET AND GET THROWN OUT OF THE PRITHOOD. ONE MONK TOLD ME, “A LOT OF WILL NOT NMN. BUT NOT SPEAK OUT. WE’RE A SYSTEM THAT NTROLS . THE LONGER YOU’RE , THE MORE NTROLS, THE MORE YOU ASSUME THE CLERIL POSN.” THEY KEEP HOPE SMALL, OR SNUFF ENTIRELY. THEY BELIEVE THAT NOTHG AND NO ONE ULD MAKE THE CHURCH SAFE FOR THEM. MIGHT THIS CHANGE? “NOT MY LIFETIME,” THEY ALL SAY.YET, BEFORE HE BEME FRANCIS, JE BERGOGL WAS A JU. AS *NATNAL CATHOLIC REPORTER’*S JOHN ALLEN, THE AN OF THE AMERIN VATIN-WATCHERS, TOLD ME, “THERE’S A KD OF CATHOLIC VERSN OF ‘DON’T ASK, DON’T TELL’ THAT THE JUS WOULD BE PARTICULARLY NOTED FOR. THERE ARE GUYS THE JU WORLD THAT EVERYBODY KNOWS ARE GAY, BUT THEY DON’T GO AROUND MAKG A BIG AL OUT OF .” WHILE POPE BENEDICT’S VATIN ATTEMPTED TO MAKE SURE GAYS KNEW THEY WERE UNWELE THE PRITHOOD, THE JUS VELOPED A REPUTATN FOR TOLERATG AND EVEN PROTECTG THEIR GAY BRETHREN.IN THE LLEGIAL JU SPIR, FRANCIS APPOTED EIGHT RDALS TO SERVE AS HIS RE ADVISERS ON SIGNIFINT ISSU, AND THE G YEARS, THIS GROUP MAY HAVE AS MUCH FLUENCE ON THE SUATN OF GAYS THE PRITHOOD AS FRANCIS HIMSELF. WHEN I ASKED AN ARCHBISHOP HOW HE THKS THE RDALS’ NVERSATN ABOUT THEIR GAY BROTHERS WILL GO, HE ANSWERED WH REFERENCE NOT TO THE HOLY SPIR BUT TO THE GOD OF FORTUNE. “RIGHT NOW THE SURT THG I N SAY IS THAT THERE’S CHANGE THE AIR,” HE SAID. “IF YOU ULD SAY WHAT WILL HAPPEN, YOU ULD SAY WHO’D W THE LOTTERY.”THE NEXT TIME I HEARD MENTN OF A LOTTERY WAS A FEW DAYS LATER, AT DNER WH A GAY MONK WHO TOLD ME THAT HE HAD RECENTLY FALLEN LOVE FOR THE FIRST TIME, WH A MAN. “AM I A CLERIL HYPOCRE? I GUS ONE WAY I AM,” HE SAID, THE MIDDLE OF A LONG AND EMOTNAL NARRATIVE, BEFORE BRGG THE NVERSATN TO BEDROCK REALY. “BUT I’M OVER 60. I HAVE NOTHG FANCIALLY. I N’T LEAVE.” AND THEN HE SAID, “IF I WON THE POWERBALL LOTTO, I WOULD LEAVE.”NOTE: AN ALTERATN WAS MA THE PASSAGE ABOUT MAR POLI’S LA CONFSNE, REPUBLISHED AS IO, PRETE GAY, ORR TO GIVE A MORE ACCURATE SCRIPTN OF THE BOOK.MICHAEL JOSEPH GROSS

Pl VI (1963-1978)The 20th-century pope faced wrten accatns om profsor Fran Bellegradi, a Vatin sir at the start of Pl’s papacy, that mors of homosexualy circulated while he served as archbishop of Milan.

This may well have been the first time history that a Pope has publicly uttered the term “gay”—the word that most men who feel romantic love for other men e to scribe themselv—stead of the pathologizg 19th-century medil term “homosexual.

POPE BENEDICT'S RIGNATN LKED TO GAY NCLAVE: REPORT

” Then, a lengthy terview wh a Ju journal, the Pope went further, statg that the Church’s mistry should not be “obssed” wh a few divisive moral issu such as abortn and gay marriage.

LEADG CATHOLIC BLOGGER SE MORE EVINCE THAT THE POPE IS GAY

“They are really poisono people, and they work out their own ner monology by gettg to posns power and exercisg ” agast other gay men, women, and anyone whom they perceive to be a threat. ”He told me this story, wh s echo of the parable of the Good Samaran— which a traveler is robbed, beaten, and left by the si of the road, and p men do nothg to help him—to illtrate the every-man-for-himself dynamic of Rome’s gay cleril culture.

EX-POPE SAYS GAY MARRIAGE WILL BRG ABOUT THE END OF THE WORLD

Gay clerics often fail to help one another, he says, for the same reason that no one tried to help him the night that he was robbed: solidary entails the risk of beg outed.

In 2007, Monsignor Tommaso Steni met a young man an onle chat room and ved him to his Vatin office, where their nversatn— which Steni nied that gay sex was a s, touched the man’s leg, and said, “You’re so hot”—was secretly viotaped and then broadst on Italian televisn. (Steni tried to persua Italian newspapers that he’d jt been playg along orr “to study how prits are ensnared” to gay sex as part of “a diabolil plan by groups of Satanists.

A stnch opponent of gay marriage who had publicly lled homosexualy a “moral gradatn, ” O’Brien was brought down Febary by three prits and one ex-prit who acced him of “appropriate ntact” and predatory behavr when he was their bishop.

THE POPE IS NOT GAY

Though no solid evince has ever emerged, is treated as mon knowledge by many Rome, who ce stereotyp galore, cludg his fsy fashn sense (his by-red slippers, his “Valento red” p); his csa to nail down why “homosexual actns” are “trsilly disorred” (many closeted gay men, om Roy Cohn to Cardal O’Brien, have ma the most extraordary efforts to nmn homosexualy); and his bromance wh Archbishop Ge Gänswe, his longtime personal secretary.

The chatter’s ma nsequence has been not to hurt them personally (though surely mt, at least a ltle) but to help lock down genue nversatn about the everyday liv of gay prits, whether celibate or not. “This is almost an aspect of the Catholic relign self, ” Colm Tóibín has wrten an say on gays and Catholicism, “this bs of knowg and not knowg somethg all at the same time, keepg an illn separate om the tth.

This is the untry where untls married women ignore their hbands’ dallianc wh Bella FiguraThe culture of ceptn operat acrdg to signals and nventns by which gay clerics navigate their liv. It shows a pla-lookg rdal watchg a nway show of over-the-top cleril attire—which ends when the parted Pope steals the show by appearg the glor garb of a Sun gay former prit, who still liv Rome, scrib cleril mp as “a natural way of exprsg [gay inty] while celibate.

POPE FRANCIS SAYS HOMOSEXUALY "IS NOT A CRIME," BUT GAY SEX IS "A S"

In every tail, parti celebratg appotment to the Vatin and other high Church offic n be lavish—“like a posh girl’s weddg”—wh many clerics attendance beg “gay men wearg everythg handma, perfect, queer as , ” observ one proment figure the Roman art world. ” (Rome has few gay bars, and John Moss, the Amerin owner of the largt and olst one, the Hangar, says that the rise of Inter cisg, bed wh the Vatin’s crackdown on gay prits, has cimated his gay cleril clientele.

One leadg Vatin reporter (who says that, among journalists on the beat, the two most mon topics for gossip about Church officials are “who’s gay and who’s on the take”) scrib the logic of such behavr. In the Vatin office of a monsignor who I’d been told might have some firsthand knowledge ncerng recent gay sndals the Church, I asked, pot-blank, “Are you gay?, ” and he serenely answered, “No.

He says that his superrs, cludg at least one very proment Vatin official, have long known he is gay, and have even promoted him sce learng that gays the Vatin, like spi telligence servic, hab box wh box.

EX-POPE BENEDICT DCRIB POWER OF VATIN'S 'GAY LOBBY' NEW MEMOIR

The Italian news magaze Vatin Insir, as well as other Italian media outlets, reported that Francis spoke about gay men the semary to the Italian Bishops’ Conference durg a closed-door ssn. That stance puts Francis le wh his precsor, Pope Benedict XVI, who issued a document 2005 statg that men wh “eply rooted homosexual tennci” shouldn’t be allowed to study for the prithood.

The two reali seem to be ntradictory if we nsir that Francis has exprsed publicly and shown his meetgs wh gays and transgenr persons an openns to who they are and how they live. Pope Benedict's stunng rignatn is beg lked to a bombshell report exposg a secret gay nclave at the Vatin beg blackmailed over acts of a "worldly nature" wh 300-page dossier — piled by three rdals vtigatg the theft of Vatin documents — was given to the Pope on Dec.

17, the same day he cid to rign, an Italian newspaper reported days after receivg the report, Pope Benedict railed agast gay marriage and homosexualy, llg "the manipulatn of nature. Quotg a high-placed Vatin source, La Repubbli revealed members of the gay factn were beg subjected to "external fluence" or blackmail, om laymen wh whom they had relatnships of a "worldly nature. "Male prostut — who had pictur of the prits drsed drag and others performg gay sex acts — were behd the extortn, The Daily Beast this photo released by Italian Polizia Morna police magaze staff, an aerial view of the St.

REPORT: POPE RIGNED WAKE OF GAY PRIT SNDAL

(Polizia Morna/AP)"Everythg revolv around the nonobservance of the Sixth and Seventh Commandments, " a source close to the rdals who prepared the report told La Sixth Commandment stcts: "Thou shall not m adultery" and unr Catholic doctre also forbids homosexualy.

Sulivan, a gay man himself, has raised the qutn of the Pope's sexualy before (he don't suggt that the Pope has acted upon his sexual urg, we should note) 2010 he wrote that " seems pretty obv to me...

That the current Pope is a gay man, " and went on to scribe his reasong:When you look at the Pope's mental archecture (I've read a great al of his wrg over the last two s) you do see that strong ternal reprsn do make sense of his life and beliefs. Francis has claimed Christians should apologize to gay people, clared that same-sex sir are not sful, and said was not his place to judge another person’s sexual orientatn, and yet he also pared trans people to nuclear weapons. Benedict, who liv a monastery wh his personal secretary, Archbishop Ge Ganswe, sists his bgraphy that the iendship between the two men has “not only remaed but grown” sce their first meetg great stori om sober queer spac are givg LGBTQ+ people a place to jt beHere's what people get wrong about they/them pronounsEverythg you've wanted to know about bottomg but were too aaid to askLizzo terviews Janelle Monáe about g out and livg her tthThe gay muny's obssn wh stat and looks wh huge mental health stsHayley Kiyoko is feelg allWe asked Black queer ins to share their dreams for the futureTrans women talk havg sex for the first time after transngExperts share tips to get started on OnlyFansAt a transgenr sgg nference, workg to mystify our own voicGet the bt of what's queer.

RETIRED POPE BENEDICT TELLS HOW VATIN'S 'GAY LOBBY' WAS STOPPED

What Toib nveys is the special love many homosexuals have had - for two lennia - for this stutn and s missn; and the choice the hierarchy has had for several s to move forward hope wh the Catholics or to move back fear agast far, tragilly, fear has won. The hope I once saw the 1975 document on gays and then the reactnary bterns of the 1986 retreat and Ratzger's subsequent mpaign agast gay people and all gay prits, regardls of their nduct, enpsulat what has happened to the Catholic muny the years of crisis. ) And this llapse of thory rightly means that this Pope himself is no longer immune to the kd of scty once emed church, havg been revealed to have ncealed raw evil, now has ltle optn but to allow the light , or face sheer seems pretty obv to me - as do to Angelo Quattrochi, whose book is reviewed by Toib - that the current Pope is a gay man (jt as was bldgly clear that John Pl II was straight).

But when this Pope has already enabled the rape of children, has vered up the crim of many prits, when he has rpond by blamg gay men for the moral failgs of his own church, when he has publicly mand that gay Catholics rema the closet, i. Experts say that his time leadg the Congregatn for the Doctre of Fah, the Vatin office that overse "the doctre on the fah and morals throughout the Catholic world, " acrdg to the Vatin, will be better remembered than his time as pope, acrdg to outlet not he was nicknamed "Cardal No" after his efforts to stop the liberalizatn of the Church, cludg challeng to Catholic teachgs on homosexualy and ordag women as Roman Catholic Church has long nmned same-sex sexual relatnships; the church preach that gay and lbian Catholics should rema celibate. Before beg pontiff he ed his fluence to silence an LGBTQ-supportive nun and prit over what he said was their refal to back the "Church's teachg regardg the trsic evil of homosexual acts, " CNN reports.