Pope Confirms 'Gay Lobby' at Work at Vatican

[Hissyspit]

Source: Associated Press

POPE CONFIRMS 'GAY LOBBY' AT WORK AT VATICAN

By NICOLE WINFIELD
— Jun. 11 8:02 PM EDT

VATICAN CITY (AP) — Pope Francis lamented that a "gay lobby" was at work at the Vatican in private remarks to the leadership of a key Latin American church group — a stunning acknowledgment that appears to confirm earlier reports about corruption and dysfunction in the Holy See.

The Latin American and Caribbean Confederation of Religious — the regional organization for priests and nuns of religious orders — confirmed Tuesday that its leaders had written a synthesis of Francis' remarks after their June 6 audience. The group, known by its Spanish acronym CLAR, said it was greatly distressed that the document had been published and apologized to the pope.

In the document, Francis is quoted as saying that while there were many holy people in the Vatican, there was also corruption: "The 'gay lobby' is mentioned, and it is true, it is there ... We need to see what we can do ..." the synthesis reads.

The Vatican spokesman, the Rev. Federico Lombardi, said Tuesday the audience was private and that as a result he had nothing to say.

Read more: http://bigstory.ap.org/article/pope-confirms-gay-lobby-work-vatican

[niyad]

1. so the corruption at the heart of the vatican is because of the "gay lobby"? how, exactly, does

that work?

[Bohunk68]

11. that's what caught my eye, too.

So, corruption/dysfunction is the "gay lobby"? Ya mean Pat Robertson's influence is here too? Blame it on the gays. Damn, I didn't know we were sooooooo powerful. Weather control and now, control of the Vatican?

[msongs]

2. will he gang up with Putin and start an new anti-gay crusade....stay tuned nt

[gvstn]

3. I'm interested in how this plays out

I want to see how this truly "holy" man addresses the gays in the Catholic church hierarchy reality. I really do believe he is more holy than either Jon Paul II and of course more holy than Ratzinger.

Back in the day, becoming a priest was a respectable occupation for a man who would never marry. Not interested in girls--"Oh, I have a calling to the Lord". It was a safe place for gay men. Many of the people in power at the Vatican would have come from a generation where not being married by age 20 was a sign of something terribly wrong. They chose the priesthood to explain things to their family.

So, there are lots of gay priests holding positions of power. Pope Francis doesn't really care if someone is gay but probably believes that gay people should never express their love in physical form. How does a guy that says don't shun a pregnant unmarried girl even though she broke the rules, "clean" up the gay lobby without saying we should shun all gay priests? He would have to pin it down to kicking out gay priests who are not celibate and then that would open the door for kicking out straight priests who are not celibate. That is a lot of priests who have slipped in their faith.

To be truly fair he would have to figure out a way to say, "God forgives all priests who have broken their vow of celibacy if they are truly repentant", so there isn't really a win there as to purging only gay priests.

As gay men don't have to explain to their families why they aren't interested in girls there will be less and less gay men in the Catholic church. So it seems the gay lobby will die out over time.

I'm not sure why he would even mention it unless he had some plan that I don't see.

[Behind the Aegis]

4. Is that why this week's "Gay Agenda" newsletter was in Latin?!

[dbackjon]

5. That was annoying

Took me so long to translate I missed my heckling class.

[Behind the Aegis]

6. Yeah, my recruiting numbers will be down this week.

I am afraid I won't get my pass to approve the new fall line. I haz sad.

[awoke_in_2003]

9. Gay agenda in Latin?...

To quote Val Kilmer in Tombstone- "an educated man. Now I know I hate him" beware the gay Latin agenda.

[Tom Ripley]

10. I really did laught out loud

Nicely done!

[Rincewind]

7. Why would anyone be surprised?

The head guy at the Vatican wears a dress for formal occasions.

[Nitram]

12. Now you're confusing...

...transvestites with homosexuals.

[Zoeisright]

8. Well well well.

Guess all that foot washing didn't prove he's a great guy, huh?

[hedgehog]

13. What does that even mean? If a "gay lobby" was influencing the Curia, why is the Curia

so anti-gay?

In truth, I suspect a lot of people in the Vatican - gay and straight - have active sex lives. I also suspect that the men in the Vatican are perfectly happy with the current arrangements with power increasingly centered in Rome. It's just easier to point the finger at the gay clergy.

[hedgehog]

14. Odd that this part of the transcript didn't make the AP article:

"It is necessary to shake things up [flip things over, lit. dar vuelta (a) la tortilla]. It is not news that an old man dies of cold in Ottaviano [Rorate note: referring to the surroundings of via Ottaviano and the Ottaviano Rome Metro station, near the Vatican], or that there be so many children with no education, or hungry, I think of Argentina...On the other hand, the main stock exchanges go up or down 3 points, and this is a world event. One must shake things up! This cannot be. Computers are not made in the image and likeness of God; they are an instrument, yes, but nothing more. Money is not image and likeness of God. Only the person is image and likeness of God. It is necessary to flip it over. This is the gospel."

The transcript is here:

http://rorate-caeli.blogspot.com/

Sorry to link to a right wing blog, but this appears to be the original source.

[happyslug]

15. Here is the actual document in question, it is in Spainish

http://www.reflexionyliberacion.cl/articulo/2729/papa-francisco-dialoga-como-un-hermano-mas-con-la-clar.html

First thing mention is that he criticize the concept that itis front page news that the Stock Market went up 3 points, it is non-news that people are having a hard time surviving.

He then mention Abortion,

Then he mention people in the church who wants to turn the church back to 1940 and rejects that idea on the grounds the Church's first concern should be the poor not personal salvation.

He mentions what he refers to a Gnostic influences within the church, something he opposes.

Then he says the poor are the Gospel and to help the poor is to do Christ's work.

The next paragraph is as follows (Computer translation):

(to reflect you how hard to take care of the Roman Curia, and the commission of cardinals who will support, etc..) And, yes ... it's hard. curia In some people holy, really, people holy. But there is also a stream of corruption , there also is true ... It speaks of the "gay lobby", and it is true, is there ... you have to see what we can do ...


The Pope makes a request that people pray for him, that he be wrong as little as possible

The Pope then spoke of a meeting her had, it was a good meeting, but something was to come out of it, but did not and thus taken as a whole did not do what he wanted out of the meeting.

He then mentions to many groups holding onto old buildings and money, he sees that as a problem, to many people within the church are more concerned about money then they vocation and that problem has to be addressed.

Please note I skipped huge section of the Document for the translation was bad, it appears more like notes taken at a meeting then anything to be published and as such hard to translate.

My concern is why the heavy concern on the "Gay" issue (In the reports of this report not the report itself). When the comment appears to be an add on to a larger corruption issue? Even the Corruption issue is NOT the main concern in the paper, but those concerns are ignored? It is like the reports on this report are concerned about one issue and will address that issue only, even if it is only a foot note to a larger issue.

This is much ado about nothing in my opinion, a foot note to a foot note.