The Vatican said
Saturday it has suspended a monsignor from a senior post
at the Holy See after an Italian TV program using a hidden
camera recorded him making advances to a young man and
asserting that gay sex is not sinful.
The Vatican said
Saturday it has suspended a monsignor from a senior post
at the Holy See after an Italian TV program using a hidden
camera recorded him making advances to a young man and
asserting that gay sex is not sinful.
The Vatican did
not identify the monsignor by name. But Monsignor Tommaso
Stenico confirmed in a telephone interview with the
Associated Press that he had been suspended from his
post at the Vatican's Congregation for Clergy, an
office that aims to ensure proper conduct by priests.
''Don't condemn
me,'' Stenico said, adding that the program ''was done
fraudulently'' because it used a hidden camera.
In the program,
telecast on private Italian network La7, a man
identified as a priest is heard saying that he ''didn't feel
he was sinning'' by having sex with gay men.
Rome daily La
Repubblica reported Saturday that Vatican
officials recognized the monsignor's office in the
background of the program, which aired October 1.
The Reverend
Federico Lombardi, a Vatican spokesman, said the Italian
monsignor was suspended while the case was under
investigation.
''Higher-ups are
evaluating the situation with the necessary reserve and
with the obligatory respect for the person involved, even if
this person has erred,'' Lombardi said. Vatican
officials ''had to intervene decisively and with the
severity required by conduct not compatible with
priestly service and with the mission of the Holy See,'' he
added.
While the Vatican
rarely comments on individual sex scandals, this case
directly touched the Holy See, apparently prompting the
confirmation of the report. Vatican teaching holds
that homosexual activity is a sin.
Stenico said to
call back later in the day when he would have more to
say, but later attempts to reach him were not successful.
The Italian news
agency ANSA quoted him as saying he had sent his
superiors ''a dutiful memo'' about the case.
Milan daily
Corriere della Sera had previously reported
that a young man had contacted La7 and said he had
been in contact with several priests on chat lines popular
with gay men. Corriere said La7 then filmed
encounters between the man and priests with a hidden
camera.
A woman
identifying herself as a producer for La7's Exit
program declined to comment about the case, saying
only that the program could be viewed on the network's Web
site.
In the program,
the faces of those speaking with the young man are
obscured and their voices altered so they would not be
recognized.
The man La
Repubblica identified as the Vatican official can
be heard saying that ''he didn't feel he was sinning''
by having sex with gay men and asking his visitor if he
liked him. (Frances D'Emilio, AP)
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