The New York Daily News wins the Friday Night News Bomb Award by bringing La Repubblica's incredible allegation to my attention:

Pope Benedict’s stunning resignation is being linked to a bombshell report exposing a secret gay conclave at the Vatican being blackmailed over acts of a “worldly nature” with laymen.

The 300-page dossier — compiled by three cardinals investigating the theft of Vatican documents — was given to the Pope on Dec. 17, the same day he decided to resign, an Italian newspaper reported Friday.

Just days after receiving the report, Pope Benedict railed against gay marriage and homosexuality, calling it “the manipulation of nature.”

You have to go read the whole thing. You really, really have to go read the whole thing. There are rumors of priests in drag, blackmail plots involving pictures of priests having gay sex, orgies with male prostitutes, and much more. Here's my favorite bit, though:

The report, which comes in two volumes bound in red covers, is being kept in a safe at the papal apartments. It is to be delivered to the next Pope once he is elected.

That's a classy move right there. "Congratulations, new Pope! By the way, we have something to tell you..." Will this be the story that finally makes the church reassess its hypocritical stance on homosexuality, not to mention the whole celibate-priests thing? Probably not, unless you Catholics who claim to be "the good ones" demand it.