There's no mute on this one! Italian choir boy Alberto Ruggin found himself ousted from his church after coming out on national television. Despite knowing the church condemns the gays, Mr. Ruggin will ask his presiding Bishop to appeal the discriminatory decision:

Ruggin, who is a practicing Roman Catholic, said that the priest, Don Paolino Bettanin, was "disgusted" by the affair.

"I tried to explain to him that a true Christian respects everybody — he accused me of not revealing my sexuality sooner, but admitted he had suspected it. The truth is that he's scared of what people might say. So, I'm turning to the Bishop."

It's worth noting that Ruggin sang his little heart out in the same chorus for seven years. On the positive side, he probably won't have any trouble getting a date - hubba, hubba!

Holy sex scandal, Catholic man! The Vatican's suspended Monsignor Tommaso Stenico after he attempted to pick up a younger man on television.

60-year old Stenico, who heads the Congregation for the Clergy, which polices priestly behavior, appeared he picked up a man on a gay website and invited him back to his office across from the Saint Peter’s Basilica. Stenico told the man that he's into S&M. When the man worried about having sinful sex, Stenico quelled his worry, “I do not feel it would be sinful." He went on to say desire's part of "psychological basis of a personality". The Monsignor also described himself as "tasty"

Little did Stenico know that the "gay man" actually worked for a local television station and secretly taped the entire encounter. Though shrouded in shadow and had his voice disguised, several high ranking colleagues identified him, anyway. Stenico later admitted to picking up the man, but only to investigate satanic gay recruiters:

I only pretended I was gay to study how priests are seduced. There are people who go after them…I really believe there is a diabolical plan by groups of Satanists.

Considering his taste for sadomasochism, Stenico no doubt prayed his trick would be a Satanic soldier.

The Vatican promised to get to the bottom of the mystery. Stenico, meanwhile, remains in purgatory.

Gay Reverend Ouyang Wen Feng won't be having tea with Malaysian Catholic Bishop Datuk John Lee. Like Tourism Minister Adnan Tengku Mansor, Lee objects to Ouyang's plan to establish a Metropolitan Community Church in Malaysia.

Head of the Catholic Diocese of Kota Kinabalu, Bishop Datuk John Lee, said Tuesday, like other churches in the country, the Roman Catholic Church would strongly oppose plans to set up the proposed branch.

"It's not acceptable. However, we cannot stop them from going ahead with what they want to do. All I can say is that we have absolutely nothing to do with them.

"Likewise, the church does not recognize 'same sex' marriages," he said, when contacted.

As if we could forget…

Pope Benedict XVI and his Catholic Church aren't down with the gays. In fact, they think we queers are going straight down to hell. They've made this quite clear.

If it's so clear to them, why does it make our head hurt so much?

CONTINUED »

The Catholic Church settled another sexual abuse case this week. Though not as headline grabbing as California's $660 million payout, the Miami, Florida case deserves ink for another reason: the accused priest also molested Mark Foley.

Anthony Mercieca admitted to massaging a young Foley, who left Congress last year after the press picked up on his scandalous online chats with underage Congressional pages, but swore to God it wasn't abuse. Apparently his contact with another unidentified boy did count as abuse, however, because the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Miami coughed up an undisclosed settlement.

Maybe Mark Foley should consider his own lawsuit - who knows how much longer his legal defense campaign funds will last…

Catholics are waging war against Bill Maher, who recently took some time to not mourn Evangelical Reverend Jerry Falwell.

During his riotous oration on his HBO show, Real Time with Bill Maher, the 51-year old comedian suggested that gays may gain more rights if we just started a rear-ended religion and offered some clever excuses for gay sex:

We weren't having sex, officer, I was performing a very private Mass, here in my car. I was letting my rod and staff comfort him. Take this and eat of it, for this is my roommate Barry.

Hilarious, right? Not according to conservative media watchdog group, Media Research Center.

CONTINUED »

Irish Catholic priest Michael Hogan won't be standing on the pulpit this Sunday. The holy man has taken a leave of absence after the The Sun published pictures of him from the popular gay sex website, Gaydar.

In light of the revelations, Hogan released the following statement:

I apologize profoundly for the hurt and embarrassment caused to the parishioners of Feakle and Killanena-Flagmount, my bishop, fellow priests, to those who know and trust me both within and outside the church community.

I acknowledge that these are serious matters that affect me on a personal level and in my vocation and ministry. I am immediately requesting my bishop to grant me time away from my ministry so that I might deal for myself with these issues.

I would appreciate the prayers and support of those who know me at this most difficult and trying time. It is my intention not to make any further public comment at this time.

Hogan also admitted to breaking his vow of celibacy. He must have had a damn good profile.

CONTINUED »

Italy's Democrats of the Left party reaffirmed their support of gay rights in the primarily Catholic country. Speaking after Sunday's so-called "Family Day" (a conservative orgy of the traditional variety), party leader Piero Fassino told the press: We will not step back from recognizing the rights of homosexuals." Fassino also promised to support the controversial same-sex amendment.

Catholic World News reports:

"Secularism will not give in" to religious principles, Fassino said. As for the proposal to grant legal recognition to same-sex unions, he said that the principle of equal rights for homosexuals is "a non-negotiable and absolute value."

Fassino went on to tell the press that he and his queer-loving comrades will march in the Pride Festival on June 16th. Not surprisingly, conservatives wagged a faggot-hating finger. We've got a finger for them, too…

Spanish artist Salvador Luna and his partner, Antonio Hernández, have come up against some opposition over their newest show, 1 + 1 = Nous. The ceramicists' commentary on gay marriage had been scheduled to open at Sótano Uno hall this month, but now it may not see the light of day.

The venue in question once counted itself part of a convent. Though it hasn't been used as such in years, one Catholic priest objects to showing a gay-themed show in the once holy space. Calling for an end to the exhibit, Father Gonzalo Martín says:

What [the artists] are saying is that two men kissing makes a family, and this is their opinion, not that of the Church. We are doing no more in objecting than insisting that the Town Hall complies with the terms of the agreement we signed in handing over the convent. It states specifically that no activities are to be allowed to take place there that are contrary to Church teachings.

Martín also objected to a post showing Luna (pictured) and Hernández in a loving lip-lock.

CONTINUED »

Some haters are gunning for homo hating Catholic Archbishop Angelo Bagnasco. Bagnasco (pictured, slouching like a heathen) has been a vocal opponent to Italy's proposed civil unions - and equating homosexuality with incest - a position that garnered him some graffiti around town, which reads: "Shame on you, Bagnasco", according to Javno.

The Archbishop's tormentors turned up the heat Friday, however, when they sent the head of the Italian Bishops Conference a bullet. The package also included a picture of Bagnasco with a swatika cut out of it, according to a Vatican Radio report.

International Herald Tribune elaborates:

Bodyguards stood a few meters (yards) from the altar Sunday in Genoa's cathedral as Bagnasco celebrated Mass. They were assigned a few weeks ago after graffiti threatening Bagnasco were scrawled on buildings.

Vatican Radio quoted the archdiocese's spokesman, Carlo Arcolao, as calling the recent threats work of "very small and psychologically weak fringes."

The bishops conference spokesman, the Rev. Domenico Pompili, told Vatican Radio that "it is not the intention of the Church to fuel a clash that it never went looking for."

Well, that's not entirely true: the conference has toed Vatican party line by opposing same-sex marriage. So they did, in fact, look for the fight. They just didn't bank on a potentially armed rebellion.

The Catholic Church isn't down with the 'mos - this we already know. And, as such, they're not about to let a practicing faggot preach from their pulpit - a rule they put into law back in 2005, when they refused to ordain people "with deep-seated homosexual tendencies". That ruling, however, left a little wiggle room for people who have experienced "transitory" homosexuality, whatever that means. But how can you differentiate between the priests who want some deep-dicking and the ones who have participated in a bit of suckee suckee? Psychology, of course!

Vatican advisor Father Gianfranco Ghirlanda has published an article in La Civilta Cattolica saying that church leaders should employ more psychological studies before ruling for or against questionable candidates. The method will not only sift through the sissies, but may help the "transitory" homos overcome their cum-guzzling ways. Ghirlanda writes:

…The range of situations between deep-seated homosexual tendencies and transitory homosexual tendencies is as great as the number of individual cases. What may at first seem deep-seated could turn out to be conquerable with therapy.

Ghirlanda insists that it's the moral duty of the priest to comply to testing, but that results must not be distributed without the subject's permission. Because the Vatican's all about transparency.

Ghirlanda also says that heteros who haven't reached "religious maturity" may benefit from similar testing. Ultimately, however, it's the homos that need the most help because it's more difficult for gays to be "mature". Hmm, which is more evolved: sucking dick or continuing to discriminate against people because they suck dick?

It seems like the Anglicans aren't the only church duking it out. A survey in Italy's la Repubblica shows that 67% of Italian Catholics support that proposed civil partnership law that will grant limited rights to same-sex couples. Although, it must be noted, only 35% of those people actually think gays deserve the rights. So, really, 32% support a bill that only applies to sinful living straights. But, pro-gayers still have the majority.

Speaking of majority, 80% of Italians, Catholic or not, support the bill, which means that busy-body Pope Benedict XVI has set himself up against most of the country when he said on Monday:

…The confusion at the level of marriage and the failure to recognize what it means to be humane, from conception until death, leaves us to think we are in a period where humanity does not really exist.

It is necessary in personal life, as well as in public life, to have the courage to tell the truth and to pursue it. I invite the civil authorities to show courage.

Politicians publicly derided the church for interfering in social rule. Family Minister Rosy Bindi - a Catholic woman who supports Prime Minister Romano Prodi passage of the bill last week - says, "I like the Church that concerns itself with matters of God".

If the Vatican intend to argue that God's concerned with the future of Italian society, they re-read a letter sent to them by prominent Catholics which worries that the debate may "plunge Italy back in a situation of conflict between being a believer and being a citizen". From the looks of it, however, that's what Bennie and his boys are hoping.

It seems Catholic League President Bill Donohue's got a history of raising a public stink. Long before he terrorized "pro-gay" John Edwards bloggers Melissa McEwan and Amanda "Martyr" Marcotte, he got his kicks taking on another of the Church's greatest enemies: Lipton Onion Dip.

No, we're not shitting you. Apparently the company ran a print ad back in 2001 featuring a man lining up to Eucharist (you know, when people queque up for a bit of Jesus' blood and body) with a bowl full of instant mix. The implication, of course, is that the man's going to dip a bit of Jesus in his special sauce. Needless to say, this didn't sit well with the God-fearing Donohue. In a press release found by Firedoglake, Donohue and his coven wrote:

The Lipton ad is not poking gentle fun at Catholicism the way some other ads have. Rather, it is demeaning the Eucharist. And there is nothing more central to Catholicism than the belief that the Eucharist is the body and blood of Jesus Christ.

Sure it may be a laugh, but ain't nothing funny about the effect of Donohue's holy war against Marcotte and McEwan.

Our old friend Lane Hudson informs us that the girls have found themselves on the receiving end of a number of not-so-veiled death threats. How not-so-veiled? How about this:

YOU RACIST WHORE. FAT UGLY BITCH. SUCK MY LONG COCK ASSHOLE I HOPE YOU KIDS NEVER LIVE AND YOUR PARENTS DIE A TRAGIC DEATH YOU ASSHOLE BITCH!
I HOPE YOUR WOMB IS BARREN AND YOUR CAREER PLUMMETS TO HELL YOU BITCH

That's not very Christian, now is it?

If you're looking to raise a little stink yourself, Hudson's provided Donohue's contact information, here.

Less than a week after Catholic League president Bill Donohue called her an "anti-Catholic vulgar trash-talking bigot…" and Presidential hopeful John Edwards allowed her to keep her job, blogger Amanda Marcotte (pictured, blurry with too much lipstick) has resigned from the Edwards campaign.

It all started when Donohue and his cronies found some less-than-friendly comments about Catholics on Marcotte's personal blog. Standing on his politically motivated pulpit, Donohue demanded justice be served against Marcotte and another "pro-gay" blogger, Melissa McEwan. In addition to taking on the Catholic Church, Marcotte also aimed at the GOP voters, writing,

Voters who are motivated by misogyny, homophobia, and racism aren’t going to leave a racist, misogynist, homophobic party for one that is all those things but just less so.

She's obviously a clever girl.

CONTINUED »

Things are heating up over in Italy. Tomorrow Prime Minister Romano Prodi will lead a debate on a bill that will allow unmarried couples - homos included - to register for state-sponsored benefits. Of course, his Pope Benedict XVI and his faithful friends have loads to say about gay unions, none of it good, including:

Projects aimed at granting improper legal recognition to forms of unions other [than traditional marriage] appear dangerous and counterproductive as they inevitably weaken and destabilize the legitimate family based on matrimony.

Though the Vatican would like to think it exercises considerable power over the primarily Catholic nation, a public opinion poll suggests otherwise. Bloomberg News reports:

Two-thirds of Italians favor legalization of de facto couples, regardless of sexual orientation, Rome-based research institute Eurispes said in its 2007 annual report released Jan. 26. Among practicing Catholics, 45 percent are against, a separate poll by SWG Srl showed.

Those Catholics will prove invaluable as the Vatican mobilizes its rank-and-file against the measure. Of course, it still seems like they're outnumbered. Thank the totally mythically, culturally concocted gods.