New guidelines suggest gay men can become priests

New guidelines released by the Italian Bishops’ Conference has suggested that out gay men could become priests.

The conference’s guidelines said that gay men should not be barred from the priesthood, if they satisfy other conditions for appointment.

The report, titled Guidelines and Norms for Seminaries, wrote: “When referring to homosexual tendencies, it’s also appropriate not to reduce discernment only to this aspect, but, as for every candidate, to grasp its meaning in the global framework of the young person’s personality.”

But it did make clear that gay priests could not have sex like heterosexual priests, who have always been banned from the practice.

Previously, the Catholic Church has declared that gay people should be treated with dignity and respect but that homosexuality is “intrinsically disordered” and that men who “practice homosexuality, present deep-seated homosexual tendencies or support the so-called gay culture” cannot be ordained.

The new guidelines are a major step forward towards suggesting that gay men would not be exclusively prohibited from priesthood.

They are also suggestive of a holistic view of priestly candidates, as sexuality should be considered only as one aspect of their personality.

It is not clear though whether the guidelines would be accepted in other countries.

This comes after the sitting Pope Francis has made strides towards acceptance of the LGBTQ+ community within the Catholic Church, previously telling the Associated Press in 2023 that “being homosexual isn’t a crime” and also approving blessings for same-sex couples – but not marriages.

However, while Francis has been more supportive of LGBTQ+ rights than previous Popes, he also said that gay men should not be allowed to enter the priesthood, using an Italian homophobic slur in his statement in May last year.

Pope Francis has said that seminary candidates should be screened carefully and that priests who pursue sexual relationships should leave the priesthood.