Homosexual men can train to become Catholic priests in Italy, according to new guidelines approved by the Vatican. While stressing the need for celibacy, the Italian Bishops’ Conference guidelines (posted online Thursday) are open to homosexuals attending seminaries, or seminaries that train priests.
But with the caveat that those who flaunt their homosexuality should be barred from admission, a section of the 68-page guidelines is specifically directed to “those with homosexual tendencies who approach the seminary or who are found in such a situation during training.”
The document states that “the Church, while deeply respecting the person concerned, cannot admit to the seminary or the priesthood a person who practices homosexuality, displays deeply rooted homosexual tendencies, or supports so-called gay culture.”
However, according to the guidelines, when considering a priestly candidate’s “homosexual tendencies,” the Church should “grasp their significance in the totality of the young person’s personality” in order to achieve “overall harmony.”
The goal of priestly formation is “the ability to accept celibacy as a gift, to freely choose it, and to live chaste lives. The new guidelines were approved by the Vatican, the bishops’ conference said in a statement.
Throughout his papacy, Pope Francis, 88, has encouraged a more inclusive Roman Catholic Church that includes LGBTQ Catholics, even though official doctrine states that same-sex conduct is “inherently indecent.”
In 2013, shortly after taking office, Francis famously said, “If someone is homosexual and seeks the Lord and has good intentions, who can judge him?” But in June, according to two Italian newspapers, the pope caused a bit of a firestorm when he made a vulgar gay slur in a closed-door meeting with Italian bishops.
The Pope expressed opposition to gay men entering the seminary, saying there are already too many “frociaggine” (an offensive Roman term translated as “faggot”) in the schools. A representative of New Ways Ministries, a U.S.-based Catholic advocacy group for LGBTQ people, called it “a major step forward.”
It clarifies previous ambiguous statements that have viewed gay seminary students with suspicion.” This ambiguity has caused a lot of fear and discrimination in the Church,” said Francis DeBernardo of the ministry.
James Martin, an American Jesuit priest who is another advocate for LGBTQ Catholics, told AFP that the document approved by the Vatican includes a statement that the seminary He said it was the first time that the Vatican-approved document included the idea that “you can’t simply decide on the basis of whether someone is gay or not” when determining eligibility for admission.
Fr. Martin said he interpreted the new rule to mean that “if a gay man can lead a healthy and chaste celibate life, he may be considered.”