The New Pope Must Purge the Church of the Lavender Mafia, by Janet E. Smith

While a bishop living a life of grave sin could still be a good administrator or social worker, he will seldom be what matters most – a defender of the faith and morals necessary to our salvation.

Many who have written on the needed characteristics of the next pope have said such things as “The next pope needs to call the bishops to proclaim the faith boldly; to restore respect for the sacraments; to unify the polarized elements of the Church.” Few pundits note that purging the Church of the Lavender Mafia, of the homosexual priests and bishops who run the Church, is arguably the most important and the most difficult of all tasks a new pope will face.

Pope Benedict failed to do the cleanup because he was old, frail, and sick—but even more so because the resistance to his efforts was so strong. Pope Francis, through appointments and his protection of bishops accused of sexual abuse and cover-up of abuse, has only strengthened the Lavendar Mafia. See the recent article by Damian Thompson on Francis’ favorable treatment of predators. …