When in Rome: Vatican Buys Share Of Apartment Block That Houses Europe's Largest Gay Sauna

Culture

The Independent is reporting that the Vatican recently spent €23 million (about $30 million) on a chunk of a Rome apartment block that contains Europe's largest gay sauna. Cardinal Ivan Dias, who is participating in the papal conclave to elect the successor of Benedict XVI, has a 12-room apartment mere yards from the ground floor entrance to the  Europa Multiclub. Several priests live there as well.

The UK paper explains the embarrassing situation for Dias:

This 76-year-old “prince of the church” enjoys a 12-room apartment on the first-floor of the imposing palazzo, at 2 Via Carducci, just yards from the ground floor entrance to the steamy flesh pot. There are 18 other Vatican apartments in the block, many of which house priests.

The Holy See is still reeling from allegations that the previous pontiff, Benedict XVI, had quit in reaction to the presence of a gay cabal in the curia.