Former Pope Benedict's memoir claims a 'gay lobby' tried to control Vatican

Former Pope Benedict alleges in his memoir that a "gay lobby" within the Vatican sought to influence decisions during his tenure.
(Image credit: Franco Origlia/Getty Images)

An Italian paper has published the first glimpse of former Pope Benedict's forthcoming memoir, and it's a doozy. The Last Conversations, which will be released Sept. 9, represents the first time ever that a pope has reflected back on his pontificate after it was over — Benedict, of course, being the first pope in six centuries to resign when he did so over health concerns in 2013.

In the memoir, Benedict claims that he struggled against the influence of a "gay lobby" in the Vatican. He alleges that the group was made up of four or five people that sought to sway the Vatican to their agenda, but that he was able to "break up this power group." While the Catholic church opposes homosexuality, Reuters notes that "rights campaigners have long said many gay people work for the Vatican and Church sources have said they suspect that some have banded together to support each other's careers and influence decisions in the bureaucracy."

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Jeva Lange

Jeva Lange was the executive editor at TheWeek.com. She formerly served as The Week's deputy editor and culture critic. She is also a contributor to Screen Slate, and her writing has appeared in The New York Daily News, The Awl, Vice, and Gothamist, among other publications. Jeva lives in New York City. Follow her on Twitter.