According to a recent Vatican directive, gay individuals can now serve as Catholic priests, but only provided they abstain from sexual activity.
The new instructions issued by Italian bishops would permit gay men to enroll in seminaries, which is a startling change to Catholic Church precedent.
Bishops in Italy have adopted new norms that allow openly gay individuals to pursue careers as priests. They must, however, maintain their celibacy, a requirement that already applies to priests who are straight.
“When referring to homosexual tendencies in the formation process, it is also appropriate not to reduce the discernment to this aspect alone, but … to understand its meaning within the whole framework of the young person’s personality,” according to the recommendations.
It’s unclear if other nations will adopt the new restrictions.
Nonetheless, prior teachings consider gay behavior to be “intrinsically disordered,” and a 2016 directive stated that individuals with “deep-seated homosexual tendencies” are not eligible to serve as priests.
According to Euronews, the new criteria state that a priest candidate’s sexual orientations should be taken into account throughout the application process, but only as one facet of their personality.
According to the guidance, “it’s also appropriate to grasp its meaning in the global framework of the young person’s personality, as is the case with all candidates, rather than reducing discernment to this aspect alone when discussing homosexual tendencies.”
No matter their sexual orientation, women are still not allowed to serve as Catholic priests. Popes can only be men.
Pope Francis has already come under fire for showing greater tolerance for the LGBT+ community.
