What Is the 'Gay Lobby' and Why Is It a Problem?
But recent news out of the heart of the Roman Catholic Church, the Vatican itself, paints a picture of certain clergy and Church officials who feel that their sexual needs and group loyalties trump the faith they have willingly embraced and even their solemn vows.
On June 11, a Chilean Catholic Website reported that Pope Francis, in a private meeting with the presidency of CLAR (Latin American Confederation of Men and Women Religious), had referred to a “gay lobby” operating in the Vatican.
As reported, the comment was, “there are holy people in the Curia, truly, there are holy people. But there is also a current (stream) of corruption, there is one, it is true... there are words about a ‘gay lobby,’ and it is true, it is there... we have to see what we can do (about it).”
The “gay lobby” comment made headlines across the world, reigniting a long-simmering debate about the number, influence, and future of homosexual clergy in the Roman Catholic Church.
When Pope Francis referred to a “gay lobby” in Rome, he was not necessarily just referring to Vatican prelates whose sexual peccadilloes (with men or women or both) made them vulnerable to outside blackmail (though that’s been talked about for a long time as well).
He was also likely referring to reports of a tight network of gay clerics that wields influence within the Vatican and operates largely for its own (often financial) benefit rather than for the good of the Church.
According to some Italian news sources, the extent of this network of corruption came to light during the “Vatileaks” scandal, in which Benedict XVI’s personal butler released confidential documents. The then-pontiff charged three cardinals with conducting an internal investigation, the results of which were passed directly to his successor.
Some believe that the shocking enormity of the problem contributed to Benedict’s decision to resign early this year.
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