However, he has worked on various Curial committees, as a member of the Congregation of Divine Worship and Discipline of the Sacraments and the Congregation for the Clergy among others.

BBC: Humble Francis brings both change and continuity

Despite reeling from a variety of sex scandals, the Catholic church under its arch-conservative pope is staunchly maintaining its opposition to homosexuality among the congregation, let alone the clergy even though in reality the priesthood has for centuries attracted many gay men, not all of whom kept to their vows of celibacy.

ECONOMIST: Godly gays seek brotherly love | The

Cardinal Ratzinger was named the prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, making him Catholicism's theological watchdog in charge of monitoring and disciplining clergy who advocated teachings that ran contrary to Vatican positions.

WSJ: Pope Defended Church Teachings