THE POPE took his decision to resign after receiving a "potentially explosive" report that revealed a network of high-ranking gay clergy inside the Vatican, an Italian newspaper has claimed.
According to La Repubblica, Pope Benedict XVI decided to quit on 17 December – the same day he received a dossier revealing a faction of gay prelates.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
-
Millions mourn as Vatican prepares for transitionFeature Pope Francis, the pontiff who challenged tradition, leaves the Catholic Church at a crossroad to choose his successor
-
Pope Francis dies at 88Speed Read 'How much contempt is stirred up at times toward the vulnerable, the marginalized and migrants,' Pope Francis wrote in his final living message
-
Pope returns to Vatican after long hospital staySpeed Read Pope Francis entered the hospital on Feb. 14 and battled double pneumonia
-
What happens when a pope dies?In The Spotlight Vatican protocol on a pontiff's death is steeped in tradition and ritual
-
Pope Francis suffers setback with respiratory episodesSpeed Read The 88-year-old pope continues to battle pneumonia
-
Pope Francis hospitalized with 'complex' illnessSpeed Read The Vatican says their leader has a respiratory infection, raising new concerns about his health
-
An ailing Pope Francis – and the vultures circling in the VaticanTalking Point Caught between his progressive inner circle and an influx of conservatism, the Holy Father should 'brace' himself for a battle
-
Pope Francis expels 10 for 'sadistic' abuses in Peru sectSpeed Read The Vatican uncovered abuses within the Sodalitium, a controversial Catholic movement centered in Peru
