Vatican's Fast Action on Gay Priest Could Herald Change

An incident in which a Vatican official was caught on video making advances in his office to a younger man has raised questions about homosexuality in the hierarchy. The immediate suspension of the official also has some convinced that the Holy See has turned a corner in cracking down on priests, reports Newsweek. The video, shown on Italian TV this week, comes as the Vatican is still grappling with pedophile priests.

Rome has a reputation for being a haven for gay priests whose behavior can't be trusted in a parish, but cases of actual misconduct are rare. While some hail the Vatican's quick action against the official, who met the younger man in a gay chat room, others point out the Holy See acted only after the situation was exposed on Italian TV. (More Pope Benedict XVI stories.)