A new book paints a picture of rampant homosexuality in the Catholic Church but builds castles on the sands of rumours and innuendo, writes TP O’Mahony. Martel cites a comment made by Pope Francis as showing an acute awareness of this: “Behind rigidity there is always something hidden, in many cases a double life”. That some very senior figures in the Church lead double lives is at this stage well attested to. “Marcial Maciel was probably the most diabolical figure that the Catholic Church has given birth to and raised over the past 50 years,” writes Martel. In this sense, In the Closet is a gay book that is self-referential, a term that the author often uses to describe the Church.

Source: Irish Examiner March 07, 2019 00:00 UTC