In the Closet of the Vatican: Power, Homosexuality, Hypocrisy; THE NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER

Is the Vatican a CONDOM-Nation ?
…it would be a good idea, even though most of us know that it isn’t always reliable as a protection, for birth control, or protection against disease.One reviewer mentioned the New York Times writer who panned this book, claiming it would promote “homophobia.” That writer had a knee-jerk reaction that was narcissistic, thinking only of himself, and fellow gays. There is a bigger picture than what that man wrote. Narcissistic reactions are not very good ones.First, the author of the book is gay. Secondly, his tone is not at all one of attack upon fellow gays, and as another reviewer here wrote, he does write with a humorous touch here and there. I firmly believe the book author’s “problem” with the Vatican is its humongous hypocrisy . And HIS feeling about the hypocrisy is a bit different than the feelings of those of us who were born into Catholicism under penalty of eternal death if we dared disobey any “laws” of the church. Sex was, we were all told, for the creation of children. Men in the Catholic church do not have to worry about getting pregnant, and many, no doubt have been sowing their oats, both in the Vatican, and everywhere else. But catholic women….they do need to worry about getting pregnant for a variety of reasons. Only “natural” birth control allowed for catholic women, who have supplied the church with millions of Catholics for many, many years, regardless of whether they felt they were emotionally, physically, or materially able to raise another child. Pope Francis did a media “tease” recently, one day proclaiming that yes, birth control was okay….and then a day or two later, completed his unkind tease with his caveat , “as long as it is natural” or words to that effect.Okay, to continue, this book goes into the practice of evidently many priests and hierarchy of the Vatican who engage male prostitutes in Italy. Even if those priests use protection, they can’t be sure that it will protect them from diseases. In the case of promiscuous priests, some of those men surely have also been sexual predators of teenagers and others, and besides the horrors the abuse survivors have to live with the rest of their lives, here and there, they may also have been given a disease by the abusing priest. One book I read, and it may be the Jason Berry/Gerald Renner book, Vows of Silence, stated that several hundred priests in the U.S. have died of AIDS. By my mentioning this, does this mean that I am trying to promote unwarranted fear of getting AIDS? Anyone who is straight can get it, too, but I do think it is another uh-oh that warrants awareness, as far as priests who do not practice celibacy, and who take prostitutes, or may get together with other priests who have been with prostitutes.This book probably won’t be read by a lot of Catholics who should read it, just to wake up from the fantasy all were raised with about priestly vows of celibacy. I think it does serve a purpose, which is to bring more awareness of the denial Catholics been living in, that the Catholic church is so “good”, and how it is THE church founded by Jesus! I don’t think Jesus would have dumped all the evil controls and fears upon people that the church has. I don’t think Jesus would have hated women like the popes seem to have hated, in their way, and used women to produce higher and higher numbers of catholics, regardless of the harm it has done to many women and families. Ol’ Pope Francis wouldn’t need to be pushing “Going Green” like he did recently, if this church had been sending birth control to 3rd World Countries for years: we wouldn’t have as much of a trash problem, with a several billion fewer people on earth. Does anybody think Jesus would be pushing “Go Green”, while still holding Catholic women to the no-artificial-birth control edict?To me, the purpose of this book was to highlight the huge hypocrisy of the Catholic church; it is not meant to be “gay bashing” or promoting “homophobia.” And for anyone who hasn’t read Vows of Silence by Jason Berry and Gerald Renner, I highly recommend reading it. That book is a painstakingly-researched book about the sexual abuse by priests and bishops, and the lack of action by popes…one of whom even promoted several known sexual predators to higher positions in the church.

This book is excellent.I like the English-language title more than the original French. It is an excellent summary of what to expect from the book, in which order of importance the elements are dealt with. Most of all, Frédéric Martel exposes just how power works in the Vatican, who has or had the power to do what and how this power is/was used. Not homosexuality itself, but the way the Catholic Church chooses to define it is the second most powerful element of this book; it explains so much, for example providing convincing arguments as to why bishops and cardinals didn’t react correctly to reports of sexual abuse of children. However, Frédéric Martel does not use this book as an opportunity to out anyone. The hypocrisy to be found in the Vatican is, last and perhaps least, the topic that will perhaps arouse the most rage and fury.If you have any interest in the Vatican at all, you need to read this book. Frédéric Martel did the research, and the research is impeccable; the claims are documented many times over. More importantly, he drew the obvious and logical conclusions from the evidence, conclusions that many church leaders prefer to ignore or even repress. He has convincing explanations for events and decisions that puzzle everyone outside the Vatican.This isn’t a reassuring book; on the contrary, it makes you seriously wonder if the Vatican, as it exists in its current form today, isn’t the biggest obstacle to or even biggest enemy of the Catholic faith.Frédéric Martel doesn’t name that many names; he isn’t interested in outing people. He just describes how the inability of the Vatican to come to terms with the reality of homosexuality results in damaging behavior, in fear, hypocrisy, dishonesty, in downright unchristian behavior and actions.I wasn’t upset by the descriptions of decadent behavior, although it does sound as if the goings-on at many Vatican parties would have even made a Freddie Mercury blush. However the descriptions of how so many cardinals, not just Italian, also American, live in exorbitantly luxurious opulence in Rome did arouse feelings of rage, fury, and plain old disgust in me. These bishops and cardinals didn’t “earn” the money they are throwing away on themselves. The Church’s money should be used to care for the poor. You’re not going to find much support in the New Testament for how these bishops and cardinals take advantage of the power to be had in and from the Vatican.Frédéric Martel researched and fully documented all the facts he presented. They are what they are, and his conclusions are irrefutable.More significantly, he recognized the truth behind the facts; his judgment of people’s character is impeccable.The only problem with the book is the sheer amount of information it contains. There are so many names, so many events. You have to stop reading at regular intervals and let all the facts sink in, settle in your mind. It helps if you are already familiar with some of the people he describes.This is an important book, and I can only hope that it reaches a vast readership.

A very well researched and written book. Amazing didn’t realised the extent of “gayness” in the Vatican. The hypocrisy of it all. Like many, I left the faith as their teaching didn’t keep up with modernity. What is missing is what will happen to partners who are laymen of men in robe if they happen to die? Do they move out of the Vatican and live in poverty or wealth depends on their partners status/wealth? A fascinating read!