UNITED STATES
Bilgrimage
William D. Lindsey
I have seen no reports about this story in English-language media. I thought I would share it with you since 1) we’ve previously discussed the role played by Monsignor Tony Anatrella, a Vatican “expert on homosexuality,” at the Synod on the Family and in a recent controversy about a Vatican document instructing new bishops that they need not report allegations of sexual abuse by clergy to criminal authorities; and 2) some readers of this blog may not read French and so may otherwise miss this report. A French-speaking friend of mine on Facebook has shared this news link with me.
The first two links above will provide background to the current story. As material discussed at those two links indicates, when news broke this past February that the Vatican was apparently informing new bishops that they need not report allegations of sexual abuse of minors by priests to criminal officials, it was also reported that the Vatican was relying on a training manual produced by Monsignor Tony Anatrella, a French priest-psychotherapist touted by the Vatican as its “expert on homosexuality.” Anatrella has a history of characterizing homosexuality as a psychological disorder that can be “cured” through reparative therapy.
He himself specializes in such therapy. Due to his retrogressive, scientifically ill-informed views on homosexuality, LGBTQ Catholic leaders objected to his invitation to the Synod on the Family, where he played a role in advising the synod attendees about homosexuality and “gender theory,” another of his bugbears.
And now it’s being reported in the French media (third news link above) that a France 3 journalist, Sylvie Cozzolino, has been provided with testimony of a lay Catholic in France who states that he was sent as a minor to Anatrella to be “cured” of homosexuality, and that, in the context of “curing” him, Anatrella sexually molested him, explaining that the “cure” for homosexuality is “corporal” and requires sexual touching.
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