ROME
International Business Times
The priest serves as secretary to cardinal Francesco Coccopalmerio, Pope Francis’ personal adviser.
By Ananya Roy
Updated July 5, 2017
A new scandal is rocking the Vatican as police recently raided a drugs and gay sex party at a cardinal’s apartment near the city.
Without revealing the name of the occupant of the apartment, police said that the person is believed to be a priest who serves as a secretary to cardinal Francesco Coccopalmerio, the head of the Pontifical Council for Legislative texts and a personal adviser to Pope Francis.
According to Italian daily Il Fatto Quotidiano which first published the news, police raided the apartment in June after complaints from neighbours who reported unusual behaviour among people visiting the apartment.
The newspaper quoted the police as saying that they found drugs and a group of men engaged in sexual activity when they entered the apartment.
The police have arrested the priest and taken him for questioning, presumably on drugs charges. It is not a criminal offence to engage in private same-sex activity in Vatican City.
The apartment belongs to the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, whose duties include investigating clerical sexual abuse.
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