An uncommonly public sex scandal became the main point of attention in Vatican after a
a high-ranking priest was suspended from his function because he was caught on video while apparently suggesting to a young man in his office to have sex with him. The Vatican officials acknowledged the suspension as well as the scene that caused it.

Monsignor Tommaso Stenico, a capo ufficio, or section head, at the Vatican ministry responsible for the clergy, defended against the accusations and persisted that he was not gay. He explained the scene as well. Monsignor Stenico said he was posing as a homosexual in order to make inquiries on a plot by Satanists.

"I only pretended I was gay to study how priests are seduced. There are people who go after them . . . I really believe there is a diabolical plan by groups of Satanists," said Mgr Stenico.

The scene that caused al the scandal was obtained by a local television used a hidden camera to record the 60-year-old Monsignor while he was saying to the young man that
gay sex in not a sin. The TV program then broadcasted the whole scene.

And gay tendencies are actually not regarded as sinful in the Catholic Church. Only the gay sex is.

Mgr Stenico was actually rather used to be broadcasted on TV as he was a frequent guest on television programs discussing religious issues. However, he surely didn’t like his latest appearance which seems to be continuing a current trend which sees the traditional immunity enjoyed by the Catholic Church in Italy over sex scandals gradually giving way.

There were no assertions that the Monsignor engaged in sexual intercourse with the young man after the discussion they had in his office. In an interview for the Rome daily La Repubblica, he gave quite different answer about his actions:

"It's all false. It was a trap," Stenico said. "I was a victim of my own attempts to contribute to cleaning up the church with my psychoanalyst work."

A Vatican spokesman released a statement for the media and among other assertions he said that the case will be handled "with the utmost reserve."