A thoroughly toxic gay culture exists inside the Vatican, marked by double standards, hypocrisy, concealment and guilt. This is the explosive charge made by the French researcher Frédéric Martel in his book In the Closet of the Vatican: Power, Homosexuality, Hypocrisy. After talking to hundreds of curial officials, who appear to have been extraordinarily frank with him, he has concluded that the majority of Vatican priests at all levels of seniority are gay. In a sympathetic but mildly sceptical review by Timothy Radcliffe in last week’s Tablet the former Master of the Dominican Order came to the conclusion that: “If only half of what he claims is true, we are still faced with revelations that are stunning.”

Publication of Martel’s book coincides with the start of a meeting in the Vatican attended by the presidents of more than 100 episcopal conferences worldwide. It is intended by Pope Francis to ensure that the Catholic Church at last takes a firm grip on the crisis brought about by the shameful revelation that thousands of children have been sexually abused by Catholic priests, all over the world, and that their bishops have too often been complicit in covering up their crimes.