We have all heard or read stories of Roman Catholic priests being caught for sexual sins in various countries from time to time. But now, right in the heart of Vatican, a gay prostitution ring has been uncovered. So far Angelo Balducci, a Gentleman of His Holiness and Thomas Chinedu Ehiem, a Vatican choir singer have been implicated, but more may be involved.
Father Thomas Williams said: “We’re just scratching the surface here. There’s definitely more to come. We only know of these two men connected with the Vatican in some way, but obviously, they’re talking about a ring, and a ring means definitely more people involved. So, I’m sure more will be coming out in the days to come.”
The irony is that this sex scandal was uncovered by accident. Angelo Balducci works for the Italian government. His job is to oversee the awarding of government construction contracts. Italian police were in the midst of investigating several people suspected of being involved in financial corruption, and Angelo Balducci was one of the suspects.
Angelo Balducci has been placed in “cautionary custody” on suspicions of involvement in financial corruption. He is suspected of awarding government contracts to businessmen in return for sexual, monetary and other favors. He said that he is innocent.
The Italian police uncovered the gay prostitution ring during the course of a 2-year wiretapping operations as part of their investigation into the financial corruption case. Now transcripts of the telephone conversions recorded from April 14, 2008, and January 20, 2010 somehow found their way to the Italian press.
What exactly is a Gentleman of His Holiness? This is a grand ceremonial title for unpaid black suited ushers whose main responsibility is to welcome heads of state to the Vatican and escort them to see the Pope.
The wiretapped recordings show Angelo Balducci negotiating with Thomas Chinedu Ehiem for male prostitutes. Father Thomas Williams said: “It’s really a sordid affair, and we really didn’t need this right now, but it is what it is.”
How did Angelo Balducci meet Thomas Chinedu Ehiem in the first place? Well they apparently met more than a decade ago at the introduction of an escort friend. Thomas Chinedu Ehiem said of Angelo Balducci: “He asked me to do it with him, but I like women and just the thought grossed me out.”
Then Thomas Chinedu Ehiem added: “He asked me if I could procure him other men. He told me that he was married and that it had to be done in great secrecy. I told him that there was the Internet. But he asked me to take care of it because he couldn’t do it from his home.”
So what kind of male prostitutes does Angelo Balducci like? Thomas Chinedu Ehiem said: “For Balducci, a 26- or 27-year-old man was too young. He preferred older men, above 40 years old. Sometimes he would ask for two meetings a day.”
On April 22, 2008 the transcript of the wiretap recording shows Thomas Chinedu Ehiem talking: ”Two black, Cuban men … really tall, tall, tall … so … if you are free … we can try to organize right away … that is, I saw both of them, Angelo … believe me that … they could be two excellent options.”
And on August 21, 2008 Thomas Chinedu Ehiem was recorded as saying: “Look, if you want I can have them come one after the other … it is possible … if you have some free time … I can arrange for the two of them … one from Bologna and the other one from Rome.”
So what has the Vatican done about Angelo Balducci and Thomas Chinedu Ehiem? It looks like the latter has been dismissed from his choir duties. However, no action has so far been taken against Angelo Balducci, as according to a Vatican source: “It is obvious that, while in prison, he cannot exercise his duties as a papal gentleman.”
But how did Angelo Balducci get to become a Gentleman of His Holiness? The same Vatican source said: ”You do the best you can to screen these people. But there are 150 of these men that serve as ushers as Gentlemen of His Holiness. And it’s hard to know exactly what they’re doing in their private lives. They don’t live in Vatican City, they have their jobs, their families and they have other things going on, as well.”
Angelo Balducci is appealling against the “cautionary custody”, insisting that he is innocent of financial corruption. But what about his sex scandal? Franco Coppi, lawyer for Angelo Balducci said: “We are talking about things that are personal and private. I can not make any comment and I don’t want to make any comment. It is shameful that private matters are published, matters that have nothing to do with the charges. It is curious to find out how these private matters end up in the press.”
And what about the Italian press? Well they have nicknamed this scandal “grande opere”, or “big works”. That just about sums it all up in a country like Italy where sex scandal is no longer a surprise.
Think about it. Angelo Balducci’s trouble seems to involve money (financial corruption) and sexual lust. Isn’t it true that the love of money and the lust for sex have caused many men to fall? Think of Tiger Woods, John Terry, Ashley Cole, etc. In this upside down world, what can a man do to avoid falling?
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