In a startling change to Catholic Church practice, new guidelines from Italian bishops will allow gay men to enroll in seminaries.
The new guidelines, which were approved by Italian bishops, state that openly gay men can now train to become priests, but they must remain celibate, a requirement that already applies to heterosexual priests.
The Vatican has suggested that gay men can become Catholic priests, but only if they stay celibate.
The guidelines state that while discussing homosexual tendencies during the formation process, it is also appropriate to comprehend their meaning within the context of the young person's entire personality rather than reducing the discernment to one element alone.
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. He has stated in public that "being a homosexual is not a crime" in the past.
The admission of gay men into the clergy has remained a controversial topic, notwithstanding his directives for priests to bless same-sex couples on an individual basis.