How the Vatican knew this Monsignor was the one? I assume they either have sources or he confessed.
QUOTE |
In the program on a private Italian television network, the monsignor said he "didn't feel he was sinning" by having sex with gay men, Rome daily La Repubblica reported Saturday. Vatican officials recognized the Vatican office in the interview took place, La Repubblica reported. Vatican officials "had to intervene decisively and with the severity required by conduct not compatible with priestly service and with the mission of the Holy See," said the Rev. Federico Lombardi, the Vatican spokesman. Lombardi did not identify the cleric, but said the monsignor was suspended from his job as a top official in the Vatican's Congregation for Clergy, an office which aims to ensure proper conduct by priests. In the television program, priests - including the monsignor who was suspended - were interviewed with their faces obscured and their voices altered so they would not be recognized. "Higher-ups are evaluating the situation with the necessary reserve and with the obligatory respect for the person involved, even if this person has erred," Lombardi said. |
From what I gather, it appears as though this priest admitted to the gay sex, so you do have a confession. How he was confronted with the allegation doesn't seem clear. However, he has to be pretty dim if he wasn't fully aware of the Vatican's stance on homosexuality. The current pope went to extremes to lay it out in his previous position with the church. Plus, various diocese across the world have paid out hundreds of millions of dollars in settlements for priest that have had inappropriate sexual relations with paritioners. It really seems as though he has a severe case of selective reality if he thought this was OK. I know it isn't according to Catholic Doctrine and I am not even in the clergy.
I don't agree with what he's done at all, but it does seem unfair if he was supposed to be "anonymous" and this has failed.
I think more to the point he probably did admit to it either because somebody recognized his voice, or because somebody informed on him and he was left with little choice.
As Vincenzo pointed out, it's clear to non catholics that homosexuality is against the catholics belief, so really the Priest has no excuse whatsoever for having gay sex.
What bothers me most about this one is...
If this is how far off center his moral berings are, is he really qualified to listen to your confession?
As far as the anonymous part goes. This guy put himself into this position and the church into a position it had to defend. Should this guy turn out later to be having sex with underage or young boys from the church...then the church is liable for the damages if it doesn't try to find and weed this guy out. Basically, by going onto a national TV show and admitting this, he literally put a gun to the Vatican's head that said...find me. That is unless the church doesn't mind paying out a few more million to those abused...
QUOTE (Vincenzo @ 15-Oct 07, 5:53 AM) |
If this is how far off center his moral berings are, is he really qualified to listen to your confession? |
We also need to keep in mind that this is not only about the guy admitting gay sex and the Catholic Church being against homosexuality but is also a matter of the guy confessing having sex, period. As a Catholic Priest , sexual relations are out of the question.
QUOTE (LDS_forever @ 15-Oct 07, 6:25 AM) |
is also a matter of the guy confessing having sex, period. As a Catholic Priest , sexual relations are out of the question. |
I am sure homosexual relations are seeing as worst particularly because of all the cases we have heard over the recent years with Catholic Priests involved in this kind of behavior.