Monsignior Hypocrite

Well, well, well. It the latest of what seems to a never ending parade of hypocrisy and embarrassment, the Vatican has suspended Monsignor Tommaso Stenico after he was caught on hidden camera making sexual advances to a young man. Story Here.

This of course wouldn't be all that newsworthy- rather cliche' actually. But this particular priest is a top official of the Vatican's Congregation of the Clergy. The Congregation of the Clergy is an in-house body that tries to ensure "proper conduct" by priests. Good stuff.

Monsignor Stenico's defense? He claims he was only "pretending" to be gay as part of his work in cleaning up the church. (not to be confused with the famous, "I'm not gay but the men I have sex with are" defense!)

He states he was only gathering information against "those who damage the image of the Church with homosexual activity". He was captured on video via hidden camera saying that he didn't feel he was sinning by having sex with men. The Vatican's official position on homosexuality is of course different than the monsignor's, they maintain homosexual "activity" is a sin. (I wonder about their stance on broadway musicals or figure skating)

Oh, the hypocrisy!

When will the world finally wake up and see just how repressive and corrosive religion is? Not that I don't enjoy seeing blow-hard hypocrites like this priest, Senator Larry Craig, Ted Haggard, etc etc etc get nailed; (no pun intended) but what kind of world has religion created that turns people into self-loathing bigots that persecute others?

It boggles my mind that people actually believe there is an invisible magical space god who watches your every move and hates it when people of the same sex love each other in a romantic way. Really?