A provisional document published by the Italian Bishops’ Conference on Friday and approved by the Vatican cautiously opens the door for the ordination of openly gay men to the priesthood, while maintaining the traditional requirement of chastity.
“In the formative process, when referring to homosexual tendencies, it is also appropriate not to cut back discernment only to this aspect, but, as for each candidate, to understand its meaning in the worldwide framework of the young person’s personality,” the document reads, adding that the goal is for the candidate to know himself and find harmony between his human and priestly vocation.
The Vatican department for clergy approved the document, which might be valid for 3 years. The document was signed by the pinnacle of the Italian bishops, Cardinal Matteo Zuppi, who is taken into account an in depth collaborator to Pope Francis.
The objective of the preparation for a candidate who’s searching for to grow to be a priest relating to his sexuality, the document states, “is the power to just accept as a present, to freely select and to live chastity in celibacy in a responsible way.”
The document, titled “The Formation of Presbyters in Italian Churches. Guidelines and Rules for Seminaries,” was approved by the Italian bishops who met for his or her general assembly Nov. 13-16 in Assisi. The episcopacy in Italy, where vocations are at an all-time low, has been pushing the envelope by way of making the Catholic Church more palatable to modern concerns by suggesting a greater role for girls within the formation of priests, a commitment to combating sexual abuse and the acceptance of gay men to the priesthood.
According to the 2005 Vatican instruction by the Vatican Congregation for Catholic Education, “while the church deeply respects the people in query, it cannot admit to the seminary or to Holy Orders those that practice homosexuality, have deeply rooted homosexual tendencies or support the so-called gay culture.”
The Italian bishops’ document quotes directly from the Vatican instruction but in addition suggests that other features be taken under consideration when considering the acceptance of gay candidates to the priesthood. While being openly gay not mechanically bars a candidate from becoming a priest, such candidates are still held to the identical standard of chastity as heterosexual priests are.
