Pope Francis Says 'Gay Lobby' Exists Within Vatican

Pope Francis has admitted the existence of a "gay lobby" within the Vatican, AFP reports:

Back in February Italian media claimed that a secret report by cardinals investigating the leaks included allegations of corruption and blackmail attempts against gay Vatican clergymen, and on the other hand, favouritism based on gay relationships.

"In the Curia, there are truly some saints, but there is also a current of corruption," the pope is quoted as having said during an audience last week with CLAR (the Latin American and Caribbean Confederation of Religious Men and Women).

"There is talk of a 'gay lobby' and it's true, it exists. We have to see what can be done," the 76-year-old pontiff is quoted as saying on the Reflection and Liberation website, which was flagged up by religious news agencies on Tuesday.

Vatican spokesman Federico Lombardi told AFP: "It was a private meeting, I have no comment to make."

Previously...
Report: 'Gay Lobby' Within Vatican Influenced Pope's Resignation [tlrd]

Two Popes Come Together: VIDEO

Pope Benedict met his successor Pope Francis at the papal retreat at Castel Gandolfo on Saturday afternoon, USA Today reports:

The two popes embraced on the helipad when Francis' helicopter arrived, Vatican spokesman Rev. Federico Lombardi said on Vatican Radio. The two were dressed in white, with Pope Francis wearing a cape and sash to distinguish himself from Benedict, who wore a simple white cassock.

When the duo went to the chapel, Lombardi said Benedict offered Francis the traditional kneeler used by the pope, but Francis wanted the pair to kneel together on the same pew, saying, "We are brothers."

Here's a pool video of their meeting.

Watch, AFTER THE JUMP...

GLAAD President Joins CNN to Discuss Expectations the Pope Might Inspire Shift on Gay Issues: VIDEO

CNN's Carol Costello welcomed Catholics United Executive Director James Salt and GLAAD President Herndon Graddick Thursday morning to talk about Pope Francis and whether or not a shift is expected on gay issues.

Graddick reacted to his statement yesterday that he hoped that a new Pope might signal a shift in attitudes:

"For decades the Catholic hierarchy has been in need of desperate reform. In his life, Jesus condemned gays zero times. In Pope Benedict's short time in the papacy, he made a priority of condemning gay people routinely. This, in spite of the fact, that the Catholic hierarchy had been in collusion to cover up the widespread abuse of children within its care. We hope this Pope will trade in his red shoes for a pair of sandals and spend a lot less time condemning and a lot more time foot-washing."

Watch, AFTER THE JUMP...

New Pope Francis a Veteran at Dealing with Anger Over the Church's Anti-Gay Stance: His Quotes in Context

Yesterday I posted some quotes from Cardinal Jorge Borgoglio, now known as Pope Francis I, related to his thoughts on same-sex marriage and gay adoption.

The latter set of quotes, in which Bergoglio called same-sex marriage "the destructive attempt to end God's plan," came from a letter he wrote to a group of nuns that was never supposed to be made public, though when it did, the church drew backlash from Argentina's secular population, Buzzfeed's J. Lester Feder explains in an excellent piece bringing context to these quotes.

After the letter was exposed, and its damage evident, this happened, Feder explains:

When it became clear that stopping the marriage law would be impossible, the church may have tacitly given its backing to a civil union law as a way to head off the marriage bill. Senator Liliana Negre de Alonso, a member of Opus Dei and one of the politicians most closely linked to the Catholic Church, sponsored the civil union bill. (This would be like Rick Santorum having endorsed a civil union law in the United States.) It went nowhere. During the debate, the leader of the majority party reduced her to tears while calling her a "Nazi" for backing legislation that would create a "separate-but-equal" status for same-sex couples.

After that, the church noticeably moderated its tone when fighting social issues. During a debate over changes to the civil code in 2012, which included sensitive reproduction issues like surrogacy and the handling of fertilized eggs, the church tread far more lightly — making their case but avoiding the strong language that cost them support in 2010.

"Today they come with a stance that is much more receptive to another point of view," said the chairman of the committee leading the civil code reforms back in August 2012.

How much this experience has moderated Bergoglio himself remains to be seen. He was replaced as the leader of the Argentine church by Archbishop José María Arancedo, who is known for having a far less belligerent manner than Bergoglio.

We can hope that it has moderated Bergoglio, but, of course, that remains to be seen.

Feder notes that it has given Bergoglio a bit of practice in dealing with certain situations:

Bergoglio understands far better than his predecessor the challenges of opposing the tide in favor of same-sex marriage in countries where the church is embattled on many fronts...If the position of the church itself does not change, Bergoglio — now Pope Francis — may nonetheless have a more grounded sense of how to lead an institution in countries where its policy positions are dividing it from the people it hopes to reach.

We'll see.

In related news on character, David Mixner notes Bergoglio's silence during Argentina's "dirty war" in which "between 15,000 to 30,000 artists, writers, students, intellectuals, trade unionists and even priest were brutally killed, often tortured and their bodies thrown out of airplanes over the ocean."

He writes:

The Catholic Church at the best was silent about the 'missing' and supported the military junta when it was in power and conducting the mass killings from 1976 to 1983. In fact, the church handed over two priests who refused to adhere to the church's support for the military's dirty war and they became among the missing.

What we do know with certainty from that period is that the new Pope remained silent about the killing, torture and dumping.

The Vatican is Having a Kiki to Choose the Next Pope: VIDEO

More proof of that alleged "gay lobby". Lock the doors!

Check it out, AFTER THE JUMP...

Pope to Live with His Rumored Secret Boyfriend in Retirement

Talk of Pope Benedict's close relationship with his "personal secretary" Georg Ganswein has been around for some time. I wrote about it HERE six years ago.

Andrew Sullivan examines the Pope's uber-gay retirement arrangements:

The only thing the Pope will give up, apparently, are his red Prada shoes. He has some fabulous brown leather artisanal ones to replace them. But this is what really made me sit up straight, so to speak:

Benedict’s trusted secretary, Monsignor Georg Gänswein, will be serving both pontiffs — living with Benedict at the monastery inside the Vatican and keeping his day job as prefect of the new pope’s household. Asked about the potential conflicts, Lombardi was defensive, saying the decisions had been clearly reasoned and were likely chosen for the sake of simplicity. “I believe it was well thought out,” he said.

So Benedict’s handsome male companion will continue to live with him, while working for the other Pope during the day.

Adding:

This man – clearly in some kind of love with Ratzinger (and vice-versa) will now be working for the new Pope as secretary in the day and spending the nights with the Pope Emeritus. This is not the Vatican. It’s Melrose Place.

Business Insider chimes in:

Sullivan isn't exactly alone in his suspicions. He points towards a book by Angelo Quattrocchi (playfully titled "The Pope is Not Gay") that he felt reached similar conclusions. In addition, former Benedictine monk-priest and author Richard Sipe claims to have spoken to a number of Roman clerics and members of the Roman press corps who were "convinced" that Benedict XVI was gay.

Of course, it doesn't help the rumors that Ganswein has become something of a star in his own right. He's been dubbed the "The George Clooney of the Vatican,” and appeared on the cover of the Italian Vanity Fair under the headline “It’s no sin to be good looking.” Donatella Versace has even dedicated a menswear collection to him.

Gawker visually documents the rumored secret boyfriend and his Pope.