VATICAN CITY
Queerty
For an organization so inimical to gays, the Vatican sure does seem to have a lot of problems with them in its ranks. The latest controversy involves Monsignor Battista Mario Salvatore Ricca, who has just been appointed secretary at the Vatican Bank. According to a story published in the Italian weekly L’Espreso, Ricca has a sexual history that’s hard to square with a priest’s vows of chastity.
While based in Uruguay from 1999 to 2004, Ricca is said to have been caught in several “compromising positions” and was even gay bashed at a cruising spot. In addition, the magazine alleged that Ricca had a long-running relationship with a Swiss army captain that was “so open as to scandalize numerous bishops, priests, and laity.”
Of course, scandalous behavior is a good career move in the Catholic Church, so Ricca got posted to the Vatican, where he oversaw providing residences to clerics visiting Rome. It was a great spot to network with the power elite, so his appointment came as no surprise.
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