Keeping Up Appearances

Monsignor Stenico is not gay, he was only pretending in the interests of science. He was conducting an experiment, acting, playing a role, seeking knowledge, but he is not gay.

When he said to an undercover reporter that gay sex is not sinful, Father Stenico wanted only to probe the gay mind, to further his understanding of homosexuality. Gain a confidence, that sort of posturing, but only to learn more than might be offered to someone being judgmental. So the Church says it's a sin, old friend, best mate, confidante, tell me more, I'm on your side. Is it lying, so, for a priest to deny the veracity of a religious tenet, or was he merely playing devil's advocate in the interest of reaching out to the sinners? What would Jesus do?

The priestly encounter was but one portion of the entire program, which dealt with homosexuality in the priesthood. A pair of men claiming to be priests discussed their gay orientation and declared that such couplings weren't sinful, in direct contradiction to established Church teaching. The Vatican's policy is pure hypocrisy, the out-of-the-closet clerics proclaimed. Why, the lot of them are all on line chatting up other gay priests and setting up meetings with fellow travelers, according to Italy's La Reppublica news daily. They're among us, this closeted clergy, not being celibate at all, at all, and not atoning for their sin.

An Italian television program filmed Father Stenico in his office, meeting with a man who was a reporter for the show. The priest claims that he was entrapped and mislead, that he invited the gentleman into his office because he thought a counseling session was in order. There have been no reports of toes being tapped or fingers waggled under toilet stall doors, so there were no overt signs of homosexuality. Where the Vatican has a problem with the monsignor rests entirely in the dreadful things he said on tape.

Monsignor Stenico was filmed as he told an undercover reporter that gay sex is no sin. He was sitting on a couch next to the reporter when he said it -- a reporter who was "...nice, very, very nice", to quote the priest. And then he walked the visitor to the elevator and told him to say nothing to no one. Of course the priest wouldn't want his cover blown, if he were to continue his scientific research into the homosexual mind.

Whether the priest is gay or not makes no difference, because it's no sin to be homosexual as long as he's celibate. The Vatican has suspended Monsignor Stenico over his words of advice, his assurance that gay sex is not sinful, which contradicts the official line. The television program set out to prove the existence of gay priests, but they ended up outing someone who doesn't believe what he's supposed to be telling others to believe. Is it because he's gay, or because he's compassionate?