Posted on 03/05/2010 9:49:59 AM PST by Cardhu
Vatican chorister sacked for allegedly procuring male prostitutes for papal gentleman-in-waiting.
The Vatican was today rocked by a sex scandal reaching into Pope Benedict's household after a chorister was sacked for allegedly procuring male prostitutes for a papal gentleman-in-waiting.
Angelo Balducci, a Gentleman of His Holiness, was caught by police on a wiretap allegedly negotiating with Thomas Chinedu Ehiem, a 29-year-old Vatican chorister, over the specific physical details of men he wanted brought to him. Transcripts in the possession of the Guardian suggest that numerous men may have been procured for Balducci, at least one of whom was studying for the priesthood.
The explosive claims about Balducci's private life have caused grave embarrassment to the Vatican, which has yet to publicly comment on the affair.
While Catholicism does not condemn homosexuality outright, its teaching is that homosexual acts "are intrinsically disordered". The Catechism of the Catholic church states unequivocally: "Under no circumstances can they be approved."
Balducci was arrested on 10 February, suspected of involvement in widespread corruption. A senior Italian government official, he is alleged to have to steered public works contracts towards favoured bidders. He has not been charged.
(Excerpt) Read more at guardian.co.uk ...
What is it about the Catholic church and gays being everywhere? What ever happened to affairs with women when seeking to sin?
And we'd probably rather not hear any spsecifics about why they were "favored" . . .
SHOCKED!! I tell you.
(I ask because a certain USN Captain, who was just relieved of command, has a definite "DADT" look about her.)
Absolutely appalling - just what the Church needs!
How close is a “Gentleman to the Pope” to the Pope? Is this like his butler, or is it an honorific title given to someone who has done charity work or something?
While Catholicism does not condemn homosexuality outright, its teaching is that homosexual acts “are intrinsically disordered”. The Catechism of the Catholic church states unequivocally: “Under no circumstances can they be approved.”
So, the Catholic church believes they can’t “approve” homosexual acts, that such acts are “disordered,” but homosexual acts are apparently not “sinful,” or they would be condemned by the Catholic church and God “outright?”
What do you Catholics have to say about this? Protestants would say the Bible is all that need condemn it. Apparently the Pope and the Catholic church don’t see homosexual acts as sinful, so does this mean that God and Christ don’t have a problem with such acts?
He was only checking their assets to see if they were able to honor their bids.
The pope has “gentlemen-in-waiting”? sheesh. Just like Jesus, I guess.
Never heard of them before but I suppose it is like Ladies in Waiting, a sort of honorific title.
I have no idea what the catholic stand is from a dogma point of view. Maybe a Catholic can tell us.
As it eventually explains, Balducci is an official of the Italian government, not the Vatican. (IOW, he's not a priest, not the Pope's right hand man, doesn't tuck him in at night, etc., etc., etc.)
He holds an honorific title as a "Gentleman of His Holiness," which the article describes as a "ceremonial usher".
I don't think the "Vatican chorister" is a priest, either. He's a singer.
To put it in terms that a British audience would understand, it's as though someone the Queen had knighted was consorting with a minor employee of Buckingham palace to procure homosexual partners.
"Palace, Queen Rocked By Gay Sex Scandal" ... no, somehow I can't see it. Only if the Pope is involved somehow.
I am not a Roman Catholic. However, there is not another body I know of that more thoroughly rejects homosexuality. Likewise, with abortion. I know of no body that more completely rejects abortion.
My sense is that enemies target with infiltration and embarrassment those groups that oppose them. Their hope is to: (1) be elevated to important positions from which they can change the policies of the organization, or (2) injure the organization.
There is a ‘Bishop’ involved in this, too.
You would believe that... if your only source of news is the MSM. When you're the biggest target in the world, every shot is a bulls eye.
Entering the priesthood is an ideal cover for a homosexual man who does not want to come out of the closet, does not want to be questioned about not being married, and wants to hold a very respected position. Having a position of authority and very good access to young boys is an added bonus.
Unfortunately, because priests are not allowed to marry, this closes the door to most normal men who might otherwise want to serve. This puts the catholic church in the position of being somewhat desperate, and therefore less discriminating.
Allow priests to marry and the problem would be greatly alleviated. I would think the priesthood is a very attractive position for a homosexual.
I am -- yes -- an actual Catholic. Really, truly.
Nothing in the mass media, especially nothing in the UK mass media, and most especially not the Guardian -- a socialist newspaper -- is a reliable source of information on anything Catholic, most particularly doctrine.
Catholic teaching is that all sexual acts, except for marital intercourse open to life, are "gravely disordered". That's moral theologian-speak for, "If you do them freely and know what you're doing, they're seriously sinful."
Homosexual acts are additionally "intrinsically disordered," which means that the act itself is what is wrong, and can't be "fixed" by a different set of circumstances. (Unlike, e.g., heterosexual sex outside marriage, which is the same act that married people do.)
When the article says "Catholicism does not condemn homosexuality outright", what they are apparently pointing out is that the Church does not say that a homosexual orientation is sinful. It's not; it's merely a specific kind of temptation to a particular kind of sin, just like kleptomania is a specific kind of temptation to the particular sin of theft.
I hope that makes the situation a bit clearer.
Nah, that’s not the Church talking, it’s the Communist Guardian, taking the Church’s words and, of course, twisting them.
Homosexuality is a disorder, and homosexual acts are intrinsically evil and sinful. In brief, the Church teaches that homosexuals should try to change, but if they cannot, then they should refrain from homosexual acts.
Where the Guardian gets its twist from is that the Church teaches that homosexuals are not evil per se, but disordered. The evil is if they give in to their urges and act on them. But homosexuals should be helped, not attacked. The basic principle is “Hate the sin but not the sinner.”
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