VATICAN CITY
AFP
[Papa Francesco e la lobby gay in Vaticano – L’Espresso]
[The Prelate of the Gay Lobby – Chiesa]
VATICAN CITY — The Vatican’s “gay lobby” was back in the headlines on Friday after the alleged exposure of a homosexual prelate appointed by Pope Francis to a key position at the Vatican bank.
The Italian weekly L’Espresso said prelate Battista Ricca had gay relationships during his time at the Vatican embassy of Montevideo in Uruguay as well as an affair with a Swiss guard which ultimately saw him sent back to Rome in disgrace.
Vatican expert for L’Espresso Sandro Magister said Ricca provided lodgings and a pay check for captain Patrick Haari in 1999 and was once left badly beaten after trawling notorious gay hangouts before his behaviour saw him transferred out of Montevideo in 2000.
He also allegedly got stuck in an elevator with a young gigolo he had invited to the embassy for the night, and had to be rescued.
An internal bid to protect him and cover up the scandal meant Francis apparently had no idea about Ricca’s past before he appointed him as his personal representative at the scandal-hit bank this year.
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