In what’s being described as a stunning exposé of the Catholic Church, the author of a new book has claimed that the vast majority of Vatican priests are gay.
In the Closet of the Vatican which was written by respected French sociologist and journalist Frédéric Martel and is based on nearly half a decade of research that included hundreds of interviews with cardinals, bishops, priests and other Vatican officials.
According to Martel’s book, approximately 80% of clerics working in the Vatican are gay, a fact that would add a new layer of hypocrisy within the Vatican, who’s official Catholic policy defines gay sexuality as “acts of grave depravity,” “intrinsically disordered,” and “contrary to the natural law.”
Martel, however, does add that while they the vast majority are gay, they may not necessarily be sexually active, and instead subscribe to a code of the “closet,” reports Catholic website The Tablet.
Bloomsbury’s who is the Publisher of the book describes the book on Amazon as an expose, highlighting “a system founded on a clerical culture of secrecy which starts in junior seminaries and continues right up to the Vatican itself.”
“It is based on the double lives of priests and on extreme homophobia. The resulting schizophrenia in the Church is hard to fathom. But the more a prelate is homophobic, the more likely it is that he is himself gay.”
The Publisher’s description adds, “No one can claim to really understand the Catholic Church today until they have read this book. It reveals a truth that is extraordinary and disturbing.”
While Pope Francis has shown a willingness for the Catholic Church to be more accepting of the LGB community he has remained opposed to the recognition of transgender people, same-sex families, and same-sex marriages, and has often described these in public statements as being threats to the family and humanity.
In the Closet of the Vatican will be released in 20 countries next week to coincide with a major Vatican conference on sexual abuse.
