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November
21, 2005 
VOL.
43, NO. 20Oakland,
CA
Vatican document
reportedly to ban
‘deeply rooted’ gays from priesthood
VATICAN CITY—
The Vatican is set to release a long-awaited document that bars gay men
from becoming priests if they are sexually active, publicly support “gay
culture” or exhibit “deeply rooted homosexual tendencies,”
according to a detailed report published Nov. 11.
After a series of conflicting leaks regarding the content of the document
in the U.S. and Italian media, Milan’s daily Il Giornale published
the first report containing excerpts.
“The Church cannot admit to the priesthood those who practice homosexuality,
have deeply rooted homosexual tendencies or those who support the so-called
‘gay culture,’” Il Giornale quoted the document as stating.
The Vatican will reportedly publish the eight-page document Nov. 29 under
the title “Instruction on the criteria of vocational discernment
regarding people with homosexual tendencies in view of their admission
to the priesthood and to sacred orders.”
The report said Pope Benedict XVI approved the document Aug. 31 in “forma
specifica,” making it the Church’s most authoritative teaching
on gays in the priesthood without signing it personally.
The document instead bears the signature of Cardinal Zenon Grocholewski,
prefect of the Congregation for Catholic Education, and is dated Nov.
4, according to Il Giornale.
When asked about the newspaper’s report, Cardinal Grocholewski told
the New York Times, “I have nothing to say. Absolutely nothing.”
Although the document allegedly restricts the access of gays to the priesthood,
it does not ban gays outright as some media reports indicated.
“Tendencies that were only expressions of a transitory problem,
like that of unfinished adolescence,” do not disqualify gays from
entering the priesthood, the document reportedly states. But the tendencies
“must be clearly overcome” three years beforehand.
Il Giornale did not say if the document establishes further criteria for
screening gay candidates, indicating the process would be left to the
individual discretion of Church officials.
Bishops, seminary rectors and superiors of religious orders are instructed
to reach a “firm moral judgment” on questionable candidates,
the document reportedly states.
The document also instructs seminary spiritual directors to rate the “emotional
maturity” of candidates and make sure they “do not have sexual
problems incompatible with the priesthood,” according to the report.
Spiritual directors are expected to convene with candidates on a confidential
basis, but are bound by an “obligation of conscience to dissuade”
candidates they deem inappropriate from continuing their priestly vocations.
Spiritual directors are to base their judgments on “the concept
of ministerial priesthood in accord with Church teaching,” the document
reportedly states.
The document instructs bishops and seminary rectors to supervise a candidate’s
spiritual direction, denying admittance to candidates in cases of “serious
doubt.” But it was unclear how such supervision would take place
without violating a candidate’s confidentiality.
The document is not expected to ban gays who are already active in the
priesthood. According to the report, the document calls for the Church
to accept gays “with respect and delicacy” and avoid “any
trace of discrimination” against them.
