Gay Priests Caught in Sex Scandal

I was born and raised as a Roman Catholic, believing in all the teachings the church put forth, until i grew up and got wise. I left the church in my late teens, and have never looked back. You see, I AM GAY and proud of it. The teachings of the church have become so politicized that it makes me ill to think that I was once a member of the church. So a couple of priests get caught having gay sex is very hypocritical of the teachings the espouse to the flock. I have no problem with any member of the church who is gay, so long as it does not conflict with there jobs and duties. These priests need to resign, and if they really want to be pastors, then find a faith that is accepting of gays, lesbians, trans-gendered and bi's. I will never go back to the church, even if they change their policies.

I agree with Marcin. Berlusconi does not want an influential Church OR a gay rights movement in Italy, so he is playing both sides against the middle with this sensationalism. .... As for the priesthood, how many gay men take holy orders so their families don't find out? I'm curious if in Italy, a gay man is much more likely to become a priest than marry a woman and why that would be. Ironic how fostering a culture of openness and support for LGBT people would solve this problem for the Church. There needs to be a serious reform of ordination, and they should shut down seminary schools for minors. Taking a vow of celibacy as an adult is that priest's responsibility, but a teen can't take that vow with the full weight of understanding and keep it. Catholicism needs to know in terms it will understand that the closet is an occasion of sin and it is a sin to pressure people to stay there. The closet is a prison, and when not chosen freely, the priesthood is likewise a prison.

(4) ...recorded by hidden camera. ¶ The reporter for Panorama has also filmed Carlo celebrating mass in a church not far from his apartment. The online version of Panorama and for iPad will be available July 23, along with all tapes of the inquest. ¶ Vicariate: Priests resign ¶ If there are gay priests, 'consistency would dictate that they come to be uncovered," because "no one forces them to remain priests, exploiting only the benefits.'" OK, that's it.

(3) ...The evening ended the same as the previous one. The next day, Sunday, July 4, Paolo celebrated the mass on a table in his home, in the presence of the reporter and the gay accomplice. ¶ Panorama has verified that Paolo is actually a priest. With Carlo, however, the meeting was held in a restaurant in central Rome, normally frequented by gays. Carlo indicated a couple of men at another table, claiming that one of them was a priest and that they were "engaged." On his word, the place is habitually frequented by many gay clergy. ¶ Carlo also claimed that at least 98 percent of priests he knows are gay, but added that in the Church today there is an "intransigent" part that is determined not to look at reality, and another more "evangelical" part, which instead recognizes and accepts the phenomenon of homosexual priests. After lunch, Carlo took the gay accomplice to his appartment, which is attached to a major church structure, and had sexual intercourse with him, this time also...

(2) ...that of Paolo, that of Carlo, and that of Luca (the names are invented to protect the identity of the priests). ¶ The first, a Frenchman of 35 years, met the Panorama reporter on Friday, July 2, at a gay party in the neighborhood of Testaccio. In the evening, which included two paid male escorts who danced seminaked with the priest and other guests (then practicing gay sex with some of them), was also Carlo, the second priest, who is aged between 45 and 50. The night ends at the home of Paolo, where the gay accomplice of the Panorama reporter first asks the priest to wear the cassock and then has intercourse with him, filmed by hidden camera. ¶ The next night, Paolo and Carlo have an appointment with the reporter and the gay accomplice to the Gay Village in Rome, demonstrating that they are comfortable in that scene. On this occasion, Carlo absented himself several times claiming that he had to avoid meeting those he had recognized as other priests or catechists. ...

I can translate the Panorama article: "The Wild Nights of Gay Priests: A journalist for Panorama has lived among the homosexuals of Rome and for almost a month had documented vices and perversions of unsuspected priests living a double life. ¶ An inquest with hidden cameras, followed by painstaking and thorough inspection. For 20 days Carmelo Abbate, journalist for Panorama, flanked by a gay "accomplice", has infiltrated the wild nights of some priests, that, in Rome, lead an surprising double life: by day they are priests in clerical garb; by night, doffing the cassock, they are men perfectly integrated into the gay scene of the capital. This is an inquest from the field that has permitted to discover an unedited and almost certainly disturbing reality: priests that attend night parties with male escorts, that have homosexual intercourse with casual partners, and that frequent gay chats and hookups. ¶ Panorama has discovered numerous cases but here has recounted 3 in particular...

Gay priests have the potential to be a good thing for the Catholic Church and for the world. But just as politicians or any other closeted public position they also have the potential to be harmful. I would rather see Gay men and Lesbians remain in the Church to help soften the church's stance against GLBTs and ultimately help change the Church to make it ok to be Gay and also to allow clergy to have committed sexual relationships and model good relationships for the rest of society. I think that the Panorama article exposes the truth of Gay priests in an offensive way, especially when you see the photograph used on the cover of that issue... pink fingernailed hands holding a rosary in prayer. Yet another homophobic image for a country that already has problems accepting its GLBT population. I wish this article would have provided more of these details, especially since I can't read the article because it's in Italian; http://blog.panorama.it. It's good the priests were confidential.

Also, in defense of these priests, they are not necessarily homophobes or anti-gay. You guys, living in the US (i.e. not catholic-dominated countries) see things differently, but in countries like Italy, Ireland or Poland (where I live), the catholic church is the only available religious institution for many people. And for years, gay guys would join the catholic clergy because there was really no other alternative for them - the anti-gay scare done by catholics is a very recent phenomenon. In many cases, they join clergy early in life (late teens/early twenties), often before they even come to terms with their sexuality. So please try being less judgmental (and I'm saying this as an atheist gay man who was born catholic, and considered priesthood for a while).

I think some people here mistakenly assume that this is done by some GLBT or gay-friendly (if misguided) newspaper. Berlusconi is a right-winger (quasi-fascist) Prime Minister of Italy, and this is part of his campaign against the catholic church (which he perceives as a political rival), but has nothing to do with gay rights. The story is about how catholic priests engage in "disgusting gay sex", not about them being hypocrites in their condemnation of gay sex. Just thought I would clarify that as some comments seemed to reflect this misunderstanding.

It is not "deeply disturbing" that these men had sex. It is "deeply disturbing" that they are Catholic priests.