The Vatican, in the midst of the turmoil created by the unexpected papal vacancy is making fitful preparations for the conclave and hopes to set a new course, hopefully in time for Easter.
The 'sede vacante' period is always a tender one for the church, but scandals are swirling faster and stronger around its secretive operations.
One of the most damaging scandals, is that in which are now implicated a top church official, cardinal Keith O' Brien, and a prestigious seminarian college in the UK.
Details are now being leaked on the reports some of the seminary's alums are making about the goings on at the school, which are bringing serious accusations at the doorstep of cardinal O' Brien.
St. Andrew's seminary college was a stone's throw from Edinburgh. The men who were studying there were tight knit groups of very young individuals. And as young men go, they allegedly found a way to have fun while at the hallowed institution.
In fact the report that has emerged on the widening scandals speaks of bacchanalia and loud reverie at the secluded place. The parties however managed to touch the 74 year old cardinal.
4 men have filed complaints against the cardinal accusing him of inappropriate behavior for a very long span of time, some say as long as thirty years.
One of the accusers apparently has also filed a complaint that says that during one of the parties, cardinal O'Brien, who had become inebriated, made sexual advances at him.
The man who is levying such accusations at the cardinal, graduated from the seminary but says he was traumatized by the incident, and has since given up his robe.
Although these allegations have yet to be proven, the cardinal stunned many after his recent resignation by asking the forgiveness of those who he may have "offended."
However, the rumors have been rebuffed by some who see the timing of the accusation as suspicious. In fact, some question why these men have waited so long to come forward. Cardinal O'Brien was a staunch defender of hardline catholic principles, including banning gay marriage, contraception and abortion.
Some say his hard line stance, often reiterated through intransigent statement on the subjects he defends, has caused him to fall victim to a liberal plot, that seeks to distance him from the conclave, due to his orthodox beliefs.
What does appear to ring true however, is the fact that the seminarian was the scene of homosexual relationships. One of the witnesses claims that at least one third of the students was openly gay. He also said that one of the reasons why there were so many gay men at the seminary is because seminaries had in general become refuge to gays who wanted to hide their homosexuality by adopting the vocation.
One of the ex-seminarians goes to far as to say that the reason for the cardinal's fall is because there is a 'gay-mafia' in the church's upper circles, and that these people are operating to change the church itself.
Some other religious people have actually indicated that since the 70 and 80s, at least 40% of seminary pupils were gay.
The Vatican has ordered an inquiry in O'Brien's activities during his tenure at the school, although the results, as always, will remain within Vatican walls.
O'Brien also served in another seminary, which was closed a decade after his departure due to a sex scandal. One of the priests at the seminary was accused of sexually abusing students. Although O'Brien was not involved in the scandal, papers later surfaced that O'Brien had arranged for one of the priests' victims to be paid almost 70,000 dollars. The victim later claimed that it was hush money.
Since the 90's most of these secluded seminaries have been closed in favor of newer ones that were in an urban setting, where students would not be isolated.
partial source: daily mail 3.1.13
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