No, you’re not reading a headline from the Onion. According to multiple sources, the Vatican has rejected the Bulgarian ambassador, Kiril Marichkov, leaving the post vacant since March.
It’s not because Marichkov is unqualified: he’s a successful lawyer who holds two degrees and speaks five languages, including Italian. It’s not because they think he has some kind of improper pedigree: the 39-year-old is the grandson of Bulgaria’s first ambassador to the Holy See after Bulgaria’s communist government fell and relations between the two countries were re-established in 1990. And he’s married to a woman, so there’s nothing about his sexuality that would appear to offend the Vatican’s regressive sensibilities.
Marichkov’s “crime?” He wrote a highly successful novel, Clandestination, that includes a depiction of gay sex. Seriously.
The Daily Telegraph, a right-leaning UK newspaper, reports that Marichkov’s critically acclaimed, bestselling book was nominated for Bulgaria’s national book award and tells the story of Ivan, a young man who flees eastern Europe after the fall of the Berlin Wall and seeks refuge in Rome. He falls on hard times, and according to the Independent, “eventually prostitutes himself for €50 with an Italian (on page 218).” The book apparently ends with Ivan on his knees in a church begging for forgiveness, but that clearly wasn’t enough to assuage the Vatican’s anger — the nation refused to welcome Marichkov after he was appointed by the Bulgarian government.
Thus far, Bulgaria has also refused to appoint a replacement candidate for the ambassadorship, and the two states are currently locked in an increasingly bitter diplomatic standoff. From the Independent:
La Repubblica newspaper said yesterday that the blocking of Mr Maritchkov’s appointment had “clamorously frozen relations between the two countries” – almost to the extent of the diplomatic breakdown that occurred when Italian investigators touted a Bulgarian link in the attempted assassination of Pope John Paul II in May 1981.
All because the Vatican insists on making a point that it’s already made abundantly clear: it really, really, reeeeally hates gay people.
Sometimes, truth truly is stranger than fiction.
Everyone should cut diplomatic ties with the Vatican. Why a church is treated as a nation state and afforded diplomatic recognition is is really beyond me.
we should just drop a nuke on the vatican and call it a day.
This rather tends to prove that the Rat running the Vatican is no “ex” Nazi: he’s holding out for absolute doctrinal, artistic and political purity. This is some really sick s**t.
For the sake of consistency, I guess the Vatican’s now gonna have to get rid of all its art works by Michelangelo and Leonardo and god-knows-who-else. And no more music by queers either.
Daniel, if the Vatican did all of that, they would be having Masses in a tin barn with music by Hiram the Harmonica virtuoso.
Steve, there are significantly more that a billion Roman Catholics. Without any other Christian added in, there are more RCs than there are of any other entire FAITH TRADITION including Islam.
That’s why its treated as a legitimate government, it is.
The Vatican is treated as a state because it is. It DOES control a very small land mass, and it is the site of the Holy See. It is entirely surrounded by the city of Rome.
It’s amazingly sad that the Vatican places its sin of homophobia above international relations! But then, they already place homophobia above God, so I guess it’s no surprise.
LeFabe,
I know nuking The Vatican was rhetorical hyperbole, but if we went ahead and did that, it would also destroy the City of Rome which engulfs the Holy See. Kind of the case of killing a fly on the window with a brick.
Just saying.
There are 1,6+ billion Muslims and they make up almost a quarter of the world’s population, which is more than the number of Catholics. I don’t see them demanding their own government.
Also I know that the Vatican is an independent country. It’s a special case though. There is no reason to treat them like normal countries and allow them to have ambassadors everywhere
Reyn said about the roman catholick church,
“That’s why its treated as a legitimate government, it is.”
If the roman church is a government then I guess we should have an ambassador to the mormon church and one to the seventh day adventist church and don’t forget the southern baptists. They claim 16.6 million members after all! If Luxembourg gets an ambassador then all of these religious groups oughta have one too I suppose.
What nonsense.
The U.S. does not have a separate embassy for Monaco or San Marino, both of which are small sovereign countries surrounded by larger countries, yet we have one for The Vatican. Yes, there are a billion+ catholics in the world, and they are represented by other embassies in their countries of residence. Treating The Vatican as a “special case” is ludicrous and an insult to non-catholics
I really wish every country would permanently withdraw their ambassadors to that evil organization. It is ridiculous to waste money and energy on a pseudo-state leftover from the middle ages.
All this from a religion where men wear frocks and jewels. this is so sad especially with the unwanted exposure they have had regarding the abuse of children.
people with messy yards should tidy their own up before commenting on others.
50%+ of priests are gay. If the Roman Catholic church stops demonizing gays, they will be unable to attract new priests unless they do away with their celibacy / no marriage rules.
Keep Catholicism. Abolish the hierarchy.
Reyn speaks as if the number of catholics is a FACT. It’s not – it’s a CLAIM. In that number they include the whole of nation states that are ostensibly catholic. There will be tens of millions of non-believers in amongst them. Like Mormons, with catholics it’s ‘once a catholic, always a catholic’. There are likewise tens of millions of lapsed catholics, but they are still counted.
And all of that’s irrelevant anyway because, however many there may be, those in power are pernicious hate mongers, bleeding the poor and ignoring overpopulation to keep themselves in fabulous unearned luxury. What’s to like?
Matthew says: “Keep Catholicism. Abolish the hierarchy.” This is EXACTLY THE ANSWER! The Second Vatican Council — in the early 1960s — itself declared that THE PEOPLE OF FAITH ARE THE CHURCH, and that the Holy Spirit speaks through ALL OF THE PEOPLE OF FAITH collectively! Those “men who wear frocks and jewels” (LMAO, @Josh!) do not own the Church. ALL OF US who are professing Christians within the RCC jointly own it. Those Vatican honchos in their pointy hats and fancy robes are EXACTLY like the vain, pompous and pretentious Pharisees whom Jesus Himself was constantly criticizing and upbraiding in the Gospel texts. History repeats itself — but in the final judgment, The Lord knows his own.
The Vatican has nationhood status because fascist Italy under Benito Mussolini granted the Church back its status in order to purchase the Church’s acquiescence for their horrible policies.
The RCC lasts for centuries while Mussolini only lived a short time and everyone everywhere knows that the ends justify the means.
We should not recognize a church as a nation state. Nor should we support any government that does not separate church and state.
Apparently being a queer ally is just as bad as being queer to the Vatican now.
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