Set-up in the Holy See?

One thing guaranteed to give a story legs: Gay sex in the Vatican. Great, just what the Holy Father needs.

Monsignor Tommaso Stenico, a section head at the Vatican Congregation for Clergy, is the cleric involved, the "victim" of a journalistic sting in which a "young man" secretly filmed Stenico in his office propositioning said "young man" for sex. Reports are a little varied--some say the priest gave an interview in his office with his face and voice disguised, others just that he was secretly filmed. You can read the Guardian's most recent update here. Either way, Stenico has now been suspended from his duties.

This is, of course, another silly distraction, one which the Vatican leaves itself open to by being so vociferous in its opposition to any legal recognition of same-sex couples (as it recently did in Italy) and its absolute condemnation of sex between people of the same gender. Any indiscretion or outright hypocrisy by any individual priest is bound to be news, and Stenico's claim that he was investigating a satanist plot to ensnare priests just makes the whole thing more lurid.

This story is no good for gay folks either. Every time there is another Larry Craig or Monsignor Stenico it just reinforces the following stereotypes: gays are trying to convert your children (it was a young man, after all); gays are so perverse and desperate that they have sex in public restrooms; gay sex is super weird—they’re all into S and M, you know (the Guardian made sure we all know that it was "sado-masochistic sex" Father was looking for).

Sanity, please.