A Lavender Mafia?

Historian Paul Rahe writes at The Federalist about the existence of a so-called “Lavender Mafia” within the Roman Catholic priesthood. The sweep of his condemnation stretches back over 30 years. See his conclusion:

The Lavender Mafia controls the papacy and the Vatican overall, and Pope Francis is packing the College of Cardinals, who will elect the next pope, with sympathizers. Pope Francis and his minions have now been exposed, named, and shamed; and there will be a civil war within the Roman Catholic Church.

Either Francis leaves and his supporters and clients are purged, or the church is conceded to those who for decades have sheltered and promoted the pederasts and those who regard their abuse of minors as an indifferent matter. It is time that those bishops, archbishops, and cardinals who are innocent of such conduct stand up and force a house-cleaning.

Perhaps my two ex-priest coworkers of 40 years ago - both practicing heterosexuals - left the priesthood because they felt as though they’d wandered into a gay bar and didn’t fit in. We didn’t talk about such stuff in those days, although I believe in retrospect one obliquely hinted at it.