The Vatican relaxed its guidelines on admitting gay men to Italian seminaries, allowing them to train as long as they remain celibate, reported T24.
The norms were approved by the Vatican Congregation for the Clergy and promulgated by Cardinal Matteo Zuppi, head of the Italian Bishops’ Conference, on January 1, according to RPP Noticias. They were debated behind closed doors last May and became public when a remark by Pope Francis was leaked. The guidelines stated that gay priests must adhere to celibacy, matching the requirement for heterosexual priests.
The new directives advised that a candidate’s entire personality be considered, including homosexual inclinations. A 68-page document referred to people with homosexual tendencies studying in seminaries or disclosing this orientation and advised candidates not to openly demonstrate their sexuality, said T24. After the Italian Bishops’ Conference announced the guidelines, Pope Francis’s statement in January 2023 that “Being homosexual is not a crime,” but that homosexuals could not be clergy, drew attention, said T24. A 2016 statement indicated that men with deep-seated homosexual tendencies could not become priests.
During clarifications on admission criteria, “The aim of priestly formation in the affective-sexual realm is the ability to welcome celibacy as a gift, to choose freely, and to live this responsibly,” said the Italian Bishops’ Conference, according to RPP Noticias. The guidelines added that “the Church, while deeply respecting the people concerned, cannot accept into seminaries and holy orders those who lead a homosexual lifestyle, reveal rooted homosexual tendencies, or support what is called the gay culture,” reported RPP Noticias. The conference also stated, that “when referring to homosexual inclinations, it is appropriate not to reduce the ability to discern solely to this aspect during the formation process.”
In June, Pope Francis used a derogatory term in Italian for gay men during a gathering with bishops, saying there were too many “deviants” and that “there was already a lot of homosexuality” in the seminaries, reported RPP Noticias. A few days later, the Holy See apologized, noting that the pontiff “never intended to offend or express himself in homophobic terms” and apologized to those who felt hurt. The pope reiterated the 2005 instruction from the Clergy dicastery, affirmed in 2016, stating that those who practice homosexuality, have deeply rooted homosexual tendencies, or support gay culture cannot be admitted to seminaries. A commitment to celibacy remained the main requirement for admission, reported RPP Noticias.
The guidelines stated that candidates must never have been involved in abuse. They allowed for the use of psychology and psychotherapy in priestly formation and permitted women to contribute to the process, offering a female perspective. T24 noted that the Vatican’s stance upheld celibacy for all clergy, including those with homosexual inclinations, while instructing candidates not to demonstrate their orientation openly in seminaries.
The article was written with the assistance of a news analysis system.