It is alleged that properties in Rome owned by the Vatican are being run as saunas and massage parlours, sometimes used by Catholic priests, according to leaks in the Italian press. The reports also allege that church-owned buildings are being let at low rents to powerful friends and allies. The Congregation for the Propagation of the Faith is cited as owning hundreds of high-value properties in central Rome, worth hundreds of millions of euros. Two years ago the Vatican bought a £16m stake in a Rome apartment block which housed Europe's biggest gay sauna, according to the Independent. There were many reports of priests using the sauna with the website promoting special ‘bear nights’ that included a video of a man stripping off to change into clerical vestments. Another report said that Vatican-owned properties in Rome are operating as places where priests pay for sex. See also: http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/vatileaks-scandal-vatican-properties-used-as-brothels-and-massage-parlours-where-priests-pay-for-sex-a6729251.html