ITALY
The Local
Published: 08 Apr 2015
A priest in southern Italy has been defrocked for allegedly making gay sexual advances to a man on Facebook.
The priest was sacked from his post in Taranto after a 32-year-old man contacted church authorities to expose him, Corriere della Sera said.
The 32-year-old man, from Rovigo in north-east Italy, claimed he was contacted by the unnamed priest around six months ago. An unemployed labourer, the man said he was going through a difficult time when he received a Facebook message from the priest.
“I thought it could have been a sign from heaven, I needed spiritual help,” he told Corriere.
After a few days of chatting online, the priest allegedly revealed he was gay and soon after began making sexual advances towards the labourer.
“He told me he was excited looking at my photos and asked me to send an intimate photo,” the man claimed.
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