The Pelligrini brothers were selected to perform at the Gay Circus in Barcelona in 2008 where they performed as they did for the pope: same tower, same costumes (or lack thereof). The director of the circus said, "I chose them on the basis of gay aesthetics of beauty, elegance and quality." Well, those aren't particularly "gay" values any more than the rainbow is a gay symbol. God gave it to Noah first!
The brothers are fourth generation circus performers and I certainly admire the skill, strength, and beauty of their gymnastic performance. Nevertheless, it was inappropriate at a papal audience. Would people approve of the Olympic Beach Volleyball team doing a demo complete with bikinis at the Wednesday audience? If not, why not? They need pastoral care too don't they?
My suspicious mind can't help suggesting last Wednesday's event was in the same league as L'Osservatore Romano releasing the controversial segment on condoms from the pope's interview (in violation of the pre-release ban). I think it's likely that someone at the paper did it very deliberately. Whether the Pelligrini brothers are gay or straight or mixed, their connection to the gay circus ensures lewd suggestions and nasty comments harking back to the abuse scandals. Are Vatican PR folks really so naive? What do you think?
