New guidelines announced by the Italian bishops’ conference on Friday bring the ordination of openly gay men closer to the Catholic priesthood.
ADVERTISEMENTThe conference’s new guidelines for the training of priests did not recommend that openly homosexuals be barred from the priesthood, but they strongly hinted at it.
“When talking about homosexual tendencies, it is also appropriate not to reduce discernment to this aspect alone, but, as for every candidate, to understand its meaning in the global framework of the young person’s personality,” the report, entitled “Guidelines and Norms for Seminaries,” stated is.
However, it goes on to say that gay priests must never have sex, as has always been the case with heterosexual priests.
Officially, the Catholic Church teaches that homosexual people must be treated with dignity and respect, but that homosexual activity is “fundamentally disordered.” It also says that men who “practice homosexuality, have deep-rooted homosexual tendencies or support so-called gay culture” cannot be ordained.
All women remain barred from the Catholic priesthood, regardless of their sexuality.
In January 2023, Pope Francis said in an interview with the Associated Press that “being gay is not a crime.”
Also in 2023, Francis approved “blessings” for same-sex couples, but insisted that marriage can only be between a man and a woman.
But while Francis has supported LGBTQ rights more than any other pope, he has also used disparaging language about gay men.
In May, he said that they should not be allowed to enter the priesthood because there were “frociaggina” in some seminaries.
The word “frociaggine” in English translates as the homophobic word “faggotry”.
