A few of the properties listed include premises close to the Italian Parliament and a solarium near Piazza Barberini.
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It is also claimed that Vatican officials rented out buildings for little money as favours to powerful colleagues, as well as allowing a few addresses to be used as brothels.
The Vatican’s Congregation for the Propagation of the Faith, for example, denounced as “unacceptable” reports that it had rented out some of its prime real estate at below-market rates, saying all of its properties are rented at market prices with a few exceptions for indigent situations.
The facility, billed as “Italy’s best-known gay sauna”, boasts a Turkish bath, Finnish sauna, whirlpools and massages. There were many reports of priests using the sauna with the website promoting special “bear nights” that included a video of a man stripping off to change into clerical vestments.
It says Bruno is “free to the music of his clergyman, remaining in a thong, because he wants to expose body and soul”.
Singled out for particular scorn has been Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone, the secretary of state under Pope Benedict XVI who has always been blamed for numerous administrative, financial and communications problems of Benedict’s troubled papacy.
The Vatican is a sovereign city-state and the two journalists are Italian citizens.
Italian newspapers have been rife with follow-up reports after two bombshell books last week detailed the greed of cardinals and monsignors, the mismanagement of Vatican assets and the internal resistance Francis is facing to fix the problems.
The Vatican on Monday acknowledged the arrest of a Spanish priest and a laywoman suspected of stealing confidential documents and leaking them.
The two, members of the commission set up by Pope Francis to reform church finances, are alleged to have passed sensitive details about their investigations to journalists.
The Vatican Judiciary Authority – it continues – has opened an investigation into the leaking of these documents, and that APSA, which is not under investigation, continues to carry out its activities within full respect of the rules and regulations in force.
Last Sunday, the pope said the leaks were “deplorable” and vowed that they would not distract him from continuing financial and administrative reforms.
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The Argentine Jesuit pope has frequently spoken out about the scourge of human trafficking and the need for dignified work for all.
