Vatican May Allow Celibate Gay Priests to Enter Priesthood

 

In what some consider a step forward, the Vatican appears to be showing greater openness to admitting gay men into the priesthood, provided they remain celibate.

Religion News Service reports that a new document, approved by the Vatican and published by the Italian Bishops’ Conference, outlines guidelines on whether gay men may enter seminaries.

Titled The Formation of Presbyters in Italian Churches. Guidelines and Rules for Seminaries, the document reaffirms the Vatican’s 2005 stance that men who “practice homosexuality, have deeply rooted homosexual tendencies, or support the so-called gay culture” cannot be ordained.

However, it clarifies: “When referring to homosexual tendencies, it’s also appropriate not to reduce discernment only to this aspect, but, as for every candidate, to grasp its meaning in the global framework of the young person’s personality.”

This suggests that a candidate’s sexual orientation should not be the primary consideration. Instead, the focus should be on their “ability to accept as a gift, to freely choose, and to live chastity in celibacy in a responsible way.”

James J. Martin, an American LGBTQ-affirming Jesuit priest and editor-at-large of America magazine, commented on X, saying: “This is the first time I’ve seen in a Vatican-approved document the suggestion that discernment about whether a gay man may enter the seminary cannot simply be determined by his sexual orientation.”

Francis DeBernardo, Executive Director of LGBTQ-affirming Catholic group New Ways Ministry, described the document as “a big step forward.”

He explained: “It clarifies previous ambiguous statements about gay seminary candidates” and now “treats gay candidates in the same way that heterosexual candidates are treated.” He added: “That type of equal treatment is what the Church should be aiming for in regards to all LGBTQ+ issues.”

Under Pope Francis’ leadership, the Vatican has cautiously adopted a more inclusive stance towards LGBTQ+ individuals, while continuing to reject transgender and non-binary identities.

The Vatican has even sanctioned limited blessings by priests for same-sex couples, a step that was previously unthinkable.

However, the Catholic Church remains opposed to same-sex marriage and views same-sex intimacy as “depraved” and “disordered.”