The fish rots from the head down. Ain’t it true. An Italian proverb with Greek origins.
Il pesce comincia a puzzare dalla testa.
London’s Daily Mirror is reporting, “Vatican police have broken up a gay orgy at the home of the secretary to one of Pope Francis’s key advisers, it has been claimed. The flat belonged to the Vatican’s Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, or Holy Office, which is in charge of tackling sexual abuse amongst the clergy. Reports in Italy claim the occupant of the apartment is the secretary to Cardinal Francesco Coccopalmerio – a key aide to the 80-year-old Pope.
It doesn’t matter about what you think about homosexual relationships, that’s not the issue. The issue is hypocrisy and corruption from one of the historically most trusted institutions in the world.
According to the paper, neighbors became suspicious before complaining about irregular behaviour of those coming and going at the flat. When police showed up, they reportedly found drugs and a group of men engaged in sexual activity.
How can men who are themselves compromised expected to investigate and clean up sexual corruption of the young supposed to be effective? They can’t. If you publicly promise celibacy and chastity, doesn’t that mean something? Supposedly not, in the Vatican. That’s the crux of the problem. Men living double lives. It doesn’t really matter if it’s heterosexual or homosexual. The issue concerns their public vows versus their private lives. To paraphrase, Lincoln, a person divided against himself cannot stand. How can the Pope tell the world he is committed to stopping the scourge of child sexual abuse in the church if his own lieutenants are acting this way?
Can we trust the Catholic Church to police itself? I don’t think so. The corruption is deep and isn’t limited to the past. True reform is needed and until such time civil authorities need to step in and protect children and vulnerable people. If you thought the Borgias were corrupt, you ain’t seen nothin’ yet.