Pope Benedict XVI Italian media are claiming that the Catholic Pope's sudden resignation two weeks ago was in part spurred by a confidential internal report he commissioned which claimed, among other things, that gays within the Vatican exercise undue influence and have indulged in sexual gatherings. While not quoting directly from the report, the La Republica daily newspaper does quote a Vatican source of its allegations, saying the report's authors uncovered "an underground gay network, whose members organise sexual meetings in several venues in Rome and Vatican City, leaving them prone to blackmail." A report by a conservative weekly newspaper is also understood to reveal a similar allegation. The newspaper says Pope Benedict XVI had for some time considered resigning but made up his mind to do so on the day he received the report, shortly before Christmas.
Credit: GayNZ.com Daily News staff
First published: Friday, 22nd February 2013 - 6:08pm