Papal aide and elite men's Vatican choir caught in gay prostitution ring

[MarieDelta]

Can you say "hypocrisy"?


Police wiretaps are expected to result in charges against Angelo Balducci, 63, a Papal Gentleman, as lay attendant are called, and the former chairman of the Holy See's Public Works Department, which is itself caught up in a corruption investigation.

According to police, Balducci regularly contacted Chinedu Ehiem Thomas, a Nigerian man who sings in St. Peter's Cappella Giulia, to engage the sexual services of young male members of the choir, along with seminarians and undocumented immigrants seeking residency status.

The scandal now envelops Balducci, a well-known and powerful local figure who is married with two children, who despite all this is said to have taken remarkable risks in setting up sexual liaisons even in Chigi Palace, home of the Italian prime minister, or immediately after a private audience with a cardinal.

In 72 pages of transcribed wiretaps, Ehiem tells Balducci about one possible candidate: "Angelo ... I'll say no more. Two meters (6-foot-7), 97 kilos (250 lbs.), 33 years-old and completely active (top)."

In one wiretap from last December, Renzi is heard explaining the rules of engagement: "You'll get up to 2,000 euros ... Do not touch his balls. You need the money. Put on some music, take out the [inaudible], swallow the Viagra, and adelante!"

http://www.gaynewswatch.com/Page.cfm?PageID=22&SID=7864

But yet we're not fit to hire for the "front office"?

Huh?

[extrantro]

Perhaps Signore Balducci just misunderstood his ceremonial title, "lay attendant".

[darkeyes]

Can you say "hypocrisy"?



http://www.gaynewswatch.com/Page.cfm?PageID=22&SID=7864

But yet we're not fit to hire for the "front office"?

Huh?

O well.. don mind them havin ther bitta fun Marie.. pity they don think we shud b allowed ours.. yep.. hypocrisy 'bout describes it..:rolleyes:

[Cherokee_Mountaincat]

I think he took the term "Lay Men " too seriously. lol
Cat

[Hephaestion]

It would appear that the modern Roman Catholic church draws its practices and cultural standards from headquarters.

[12voltman59]

Not all that shocking a revelation----they might as well get real in the Catholic church--allow women to be priests and allow married men to be be priests as well---while they never had women priests----they sure did have married ones for years----it was not something written in the bible that only men could preach the word of God--it was a decree by a pope that only made it be that priests had to be single and "Celibate"--it is strictly a false construct of the church.

It is obvious that women can and do serve as ministers in most other faiths. There is not one rational argument to prohibit women from serving that role in the Catholic Church.

As far as I am concerned---the Catholic Church will fall into irrelevance as long as it maintains its antiquated polilcies against married ordained Catholic priests (they are allowing married priests who came from the Anglican church to serve as Catholic priests now) and not allowing women to serve as "priests" as well---and as long as they continue to have these "problems" with homosexuality and pedophilia within the ranks of church leadership---the church has no moral standing to make any sort of policy regarding things like homosexualty, abortion, contraception and family planning.

At least in this case--it is just a case of priests fucking each other and they are not taking advantage of kids under their charge.

[open2both]

Isn't that one of the PERKS for joining the priesthood?

[TwylaTwobits]

Volties mention of the decree to be celibate reminded me of an old joke. A monk was transcribing some documents and asked his superior to see the original work to get a true copy. He began comparing and lo and behold found a mistake which he showed to his superior. Later the superior took the original work and stood before the Pope and shouted "They got it wrong! It was celebrate not celibate"


As to the topic of the thread...I am not surprised at all. Only surprised they got caught.

[MarieDelta]

O well.. don mind them havin ther bitta fun Marie.. pity they don think we shud b allowed ours.. yep.. hypocrisy 'bout describes it..:rolleyes:

I dont mind them having fun either. However I think they should A. Own up to it and B. Quit acting like they want to pull the wrath of God down on the rest of us.

I mean come on, be a grown up!

On the other hand, I feel pity for them, obviously they cant reconcile their faith with who they are, and that makes hypocrites of them.

But, in the end, we all have our choices to make. Be yourself and be proud or be a shadow of the person you could be, and be miserable.

[thatcher29]

Now investigations have spread to Germany and three choirs, including one that was run by the Pope's brother:

http://www.nytimes.com/reuters/2010/03/05/world/international-us-germany-abuse-choir.html

[MarieDelta]

Maybe they need Don't Ask, Don't Tell?

[fred fencesitter]

This is surprising?

Maybe "Papal Gentleman" could join "confirmed bachelor" as a euphemism.