In the latest in a series of sexual scandals in the Roman Catholic Church, a priest who declared his love for a woman has been banned from hearing confessions and removed from his pastoral duties.<\/p>\n
Even though he remains a priest and can still say Mass, the effective dismissal of Father Sante Sguotti from his parish in Monterosso near Padua in northern Italy comes soon after another parish priest near the pilgrimage site of Lourdes in France was forced out because he had a girlfriend.<\/p>\n
Catholic worshippers in Asson in south-west France had heard Father L\u00c3\u00a9on Laclos confess that he was having a sexual relationship with one of his parishioners and his contention that being in love had brought him closer to his congregation and to God.<\/p>\n
Both clergy had support from large numbers of their parishioners. The debate could ultimately threaten the Catholic Church in the same way that the row over homosexuality is splitting the Anglican Communion, although the stronger hierarchical structure of the Catholic Church means that in the short-term, it will withstand the dissent without schism, even if the laity and clergy are discontent.<\/p>\n