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Italian priest accused of staging orgies & pimping faces defrocking ‘Unacceptable for a Christian’: Italian ‘orgy & pimping’ priest faces defrocking
(about 9 hours later)
An Italian Catholic priest accused of staging orgies and pimping out some of his 30 lovers will lose his job regardless of what an investigation finds, the Bishop of Padua said. Another priest, who at least “occasionally” participated in the orgies, will likely retain his position. An Italian Catholic priest – who is at the center of a scandal alleging he staged orgies, had up to 30 lovers and produced home porn videos – will most likely lose his job regardless of an investigation’s findings, the Bishop of Padua said.
Father Andrea Contin, a 48-year-old priest at the church of San Lazzaro in Padua, has been under investigation for some time over allegations of staging orgies in his rectory and producing home porn videos, after three of his numerous lovers filed complaints early in December. The scandal involving Father Andrea Contin, a 48-year-old priest at the church of San Lazzaro in Padua, broke in December 2016. Since then media have released some very unholy details of his clerical life.
Since then, the alleged activities of the priest have included more bizarre details. The priest allegedly “always carried a briefcase full of vibrators, sex toys, masks and bondage equipment,” according to one of his accusers, as reported by the Corriere del Veneto. “I am incredulous and pained by the accusations [against Contin],” Padua's bishop, Claudio Cipolla, said at a press conference on Thursday, as cited by the Local. He added that his position was like “a father of a son who has fallen into disgrace.” 
Besides that, the priest allegedly encouraged a woman to have sex with a horse in addition to beating her in the rectory on several occasions. The priest had up to 30 lovers, with whom he allegedly traveled to naturist and swinger resorts in France and even pimped out at least some of them online. He also allegedly concealed pornographic materials in covers with the names of various popes. “Even if, at the end of this affair, there are no legal consequences, we have a duty by canon law to take disciplinary action,” he said, adding that Pope Francis has been informed about the affair.
While the criminal investigation on psychological and physical assault and facilitating prostitution is ongoing, the priest’s unholy activities have caught the attention of the Holy Father himself. The Bishop has been traveling to diocesan missions in Latin America, but had to return earlier than initially planned “since the widening of the Paduan events, to address more directly the situation,” according to Italian media. In early January it was reported that the priest had been suspended from his clerical duties pending the investigation.
Pope Francis encouraged Padua bishop Claudio Cipolla to hold a press conference on Thursday to present the opinion of the Catholic Church on the matter, and not leave the whole scandalous story to the hands of the tabloids. The decision to defrock the priest was not the result of the hype in the media, which were releasing new details of Contin’s orgies, but the result of “direct investigation and verification that these events mean Don Contin is not fit to carry out his mission [of priesthood],” even if the priest repents, Cipolla said.
The Bishop has been traveling to diocesan missions in Latin America but had to return earlier than initially planned “since the widening of the Paduan events, to address more directly the situation.” Contin’s actions are “unacceptable for a priest, for a Christian and even for a man,” he said, adding that Catholic priests take a vow of celibacy, which is done “at an adult age, when we have control of our choices, in order to best serve our communities.”
“I am incredulous and pained by the accusations,” Bishop Cipolla said, comparing his position to that of “a father of a son who has fallen into disgrace.” In the meantime, another priest, Father Roberto Cavazzana, who admitted to taking part in and “occasionally” filming orgies, will likely retain his position. Cavazzana’s case is “different,” since “his involvement was only partial and occasional – though not acceptable for a priest,” Cipolla said.
The congregation can stay assured that the “shocking and scandalous episodes” won’t affect the Padua church’s activities, however. ‘Briefcase full of vibrators, sex toys & masks’
“Our diocesan Church continues to be welcoming and knows how to heal its ills to the extent that it opens and goes out to all those who are in need,” the Bishop said. Meanwhile, media keep releasing new details about the priest’s activities. In January, one of the priest’s alleged sexual partners, a woman, told Italian media that he “always carried a briefcase full of vibrators, sex toys, masks and bondage equipment,” the Local reported. 
The priest under investigation, who was suspended from his duties after the scandal unfolded, will most likely lose his position regardless of the outcome of the criminal investigation, since his alleged activities were “unacceptable for a priest, for a Christian and even for a man,” the bishop said. One woman said that Contin encouraged her to have sex with a horse in addition to beating her in the rectory on several occasions.
Another priest, named as Father Roberto Cavazzana, who admitted to taking part in and “occasionally” filming orgies will likely retain his position. Cavazzana’s case is “different,” since “his involvement was only partial and occasional – though not acceptable for a priest,” Cipolla said. The priest reportedly had up to 30 lovers, according to Italian media. With some of his female partners he allegedly traveled on vacations. One such trip was to a French resort for nudists and swingers in the town of Cap d’Agde.
A 49-year-old church volunteer told Il Mattino di Padova newspaper in early January that the two were having sex in the rectory “at all hours: morning, afternoon, night.” 
“There were a lot of women hovering around him,” she told the newspaper.