Vatican police raided a drug-fueled gay sex party at a top priest’s apartment near the city, according to an Italian newspaper report.
The apartment’s occupant, who was not named by police, serves as a secretary to Cardinal Francesco Coccopalmerio, a personal adviser to Pope Francis.
The apartment belongs to the Vatican’s Congregation for the Doctrine of Faith — the branch that reviews appeals from clergy found guilty of sexual abuse of minors, according to Italian daily Il Fatto Quotidiano, which first published the explosive report.
Police raided the apartment in June after neighbors complained of unusual behavior among frequent nighttime visitors.
Police arrested the priest and hospitalized him to detox him from the drugs he had ingested, according to the newspaper.
He was taken in for questioning, presumably on drugs charges, as gay sex is legal in Vatican City.
He’s currently in retreat at a convent in Italy, according to the report.
Coccopalmerio’s aide was reportedly under consideration for promotion to bishop.
His advancement in the church now seems less likely following the incident and two previous alleged drug overdoses, according to an International Business Times report.
This is the latest scandal to rock the Vatican.
Cardinal George Pell was recently charged with child sex abuse and will return to Australia to stand trial.
