Italian gay activist Aurelio Mancuso says Panorama magazine’s exposé on sexually active gay priests is just a way for Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi, who owns the magazine, to attack the Vatican. Well, if using the truth to criticize the world’s leading anti-gay pedophile ring is an “attack,” so be it.
“This is a squalid political and cultural operation; in order to attack the Catholic Church you propose a vision of the homosexual community that is stuffed with stereotypes,” says Mancuso of the magazine’s report, which includes video (with blurred faces) of the three priests (two Italian, one French) in question. Which sounds more like a soundbite authored by Cardinal Agostino Vallini, the vicar of Rome, than a gay activist.
But Panorama editor Giorgio Mulé says not only is the report accurate, he’s got the names of the priests involved — although he’s not disclosing them. Which is either a stab at remaining on the ethical side of journalism (outing is bad, we’re told) or just a chance to drum up a second wave of publicity when the magazine drops the names.
Bill
“Is Panorama’s Gay Priest Sex Exposé A Politically Motivated Attack On the Vatican?”
If it isn’t, it should be.
Mike in Asheville
Lets hope so, since that means repeated repeated repeated attacks….
L.
Your saying that Mancuso sounds like a Vatican official is just ridiculous.
As should be obvious from other comments I posted here, I am no fan nor defender of the Church hierarchy or its hideous cover-ups…
…but beware who you’re bedding with. Berlusconi is no friend of gays, and has on innumerable times publicly made homophobic and racist remarks.
And, given that the Vatican, besides doing an awful job at managing the abuse scandals, has also semi-officially made well known its distaste for Berlusconi’s ultra-right-wing politics (he governs with a party that calls Southern Italians ‘vermins’ and ‘parasites’, as well as no less than a party claiming inheritance to Mussolini), I would hesitate little in betting money that the Vatican’s hypocrisy on gay clergy just happens to be a very convenient tool with which to get back at what has turned into a political foe.
The enemy of my enemy is not necessarily my friend.
Bash Back!
I’m sorry but did this article just accidentally justify exposure of queers in the Vatican with pedophilia in the church? Have you lost your mind? You have absolutely validated Mancuso’s sentiment.
B
You guys are using a magazine owned by Silvio Berlusconi as a source when Silvio Berlusconi is alleged to have a grudge?
Read http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Silvio_Berlusconi#Controversies for a quick summary of the controversies surrounding the Italian prime minister.
justme
If you are a gay priest in the catholic church then take a stand and come out. Otherwise you are a hypocrite who works for the same people that would opress you.
Outing Catholic priests should be considered a public service.
I am all for people who are not involved in opression getting to stay in the closet but if you are a member of a hate orginization dont be pissed when we out you.
L.
@justme: Why would you ask more of priests than you would of soldiers? There are many priests who feel that caring for their flock is the greatest thing that can be done, so why would you want them to lose their sense of mission? On what grounds? Gay priests are no more oppressing gays than gay soldiers are. As long as you’re not the oppressor, live and let live.
PLAYS WELL WITH OTHERS
The men in pointy hats wearing dresses in the Vatican have literally lost their twisted minds. First they attempted to work the theory that the kiddie diddling priests actually wern’t Gay, because you don’t have to be Gay to diddle boys???? (they really did attempt that spin). Now they are attempting to flush out all the Gays, not stopping to think of the potential consequences of their actions………
A very good percentage of priests are Gay and if suddenly they all were flushed out (both literaly and figuratively) the dire shortage of priests they are now facing would become an insourmontable crisis for the church. They are potentially causing the church to implode thru their own actions…..
CT
“Which sounds more like a soundbite authored by Cardinal Agostino Vallini, the vicar of Rome, than a gay activist.”
Or maybe Queerty should start growing a brain. Exposing an individual’s personal life when they didn’t hurt anyone in pursuing it and without their consent is definetely not the way a minority can prove it deserves any rights.
Is this how you propose defending homosexuals? By throwing them to the lions and using their lives to sell titillating, homophobic sex stories?
Shofixti
My qualm is that this “attack” further naturalises the terrible control over the media that Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi excercises. Yes he owns a good chunk of the media, which gives him an unprecedented control for a 21st century politician.
I recommend the movie “Draquila” for a further look at these abuses of power.