Writen by sadataley 2:09 PM - 0 Comments

Pope Francis 'admits that gay  prelate network exists'

Leaked notes from private meeting show pontiff  speaking about a 'stream of corruption'

Pope Francis is quoted as saying: 'The "gay lobby" is mentioned, and it is true, it is there.' 

The pope has admitted the existence of a network of gay prelates in theVatican, reports published on Tuesday said.

According to leaked notes of a private conversation with Catholic officials at the Latin American Conference of Religious (Clar), Francis was asked about being in charge of the Roman curia, the Chilean website Reflexión y Liberación reported. According to site, the Argentinian pontiff, speaking in his native Spanish, said the task was difficult as, alongside "holy people", there was also "a stream of corruption". He was then quoted as adding: "The 'gay lobby' is mentioned, and it is true, it is there … We need to see what we can do."

Clar later confirmed its leaders had written a synopsis of the pope's remarks and said it was greatly distressed that the document had been published. Vatican spokesman Federico Lombardi said he had no comment to make on the remarks made in "a private meeting". The text follows repeated claims that there are a significant number of influential gay clerics within the Vatican.

The speculation peaked in February when, soon after Benedict XVI resigned, the Italian newspaper La Repubblica claimed he had decided to step down after receiving a dossier investigating the Vatileaks scandal containing details of a network of gay prelates, some of whom were vulnerable to blackmail.

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