The credibility of the Catholic church was dealt another blow today, after an Italian magazine claimed to have footage of celibate priests having gay sex.
A journalist from Panorama magazine – a publication owned by Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi – is claiming to have covertly filmed three priests in a damning exposé.
The Vatican, the seat of the Catholic church, has made no official comment as yet.
In an email previewing the forthcoming article, Panorama said: "By day they are
regular priests, complete with dog collar, but, at night it's off with
the cassock as they take their place as perfectly integrated members of
the Italian capital's gay scene."
According to the Daily Mail, Panorama editor
Giorgio Mule said: "This was a two week investigation and was not aimed
at creating a scandal but showing that a certain section of the clergy
behaves very differently."
Pope Benedict XVI caused outrage in May when he condemned gay marriage in a public address to
half a million people. During his speech at the 13 May annual mass at Fatima’s Sanctuary in
Portugal, the 83-year-old told crowds that marriage should be between a
man and a woman.
He described gay marriage as the “most insidious and dangerous
challenges that today confront the common good," before going on to
express appreciation for anti-abortion campaigners.
