The Italian Catholic Church has opened its seminaries to homosexual men, provided they do not promote or align themselves with what it terms “gay culture,” according to new guidelines endorsed by the Vatican.
The guidelines, released by the Italian Bishops’ Conference and published online on Thursday, maintain the Church’s emphasis on celibacy while allowing gay men to enter priestly training under certain conditions.
A specific section of the 68-page document addresses individuals with “homosexual tendencies” who either seek admission to seminaries or discover their orientation during training.
“The Church, while profoundly respecting the persons in question, cannot admit to the seminary and to Holy Orders those who practise homosexuality, present deeply rooted homosexual tendencies or support the so-called gay culture,” the guidelines state.
However, the document urges consideration of a candidate’s overall personality, advising the Church to assess homosexual tendencies in the context of the individual’s character and emotional maturity.
The goal remains to nurture priests who can embrace chastity and celibacy as a vocation.
The Vatican-approved guidelines reflect Pope Francis’ broader effort to foster inclusivity within the Roman Catholic Church, even as official doctrine continues to describe same-sex acts as “intrinsically disordered.”
Since his papacy began in 2013, Pope Francis has taken a more conciliatory tone on LGBTQ issues, famously stating, “If someone is gay and is searching for the Lord and has good will, then who am I to judge him?” However, his position has not been without controversy.
In June, during a private meeting with Italian bishops, the Pope reportedly expressed disapproval of gay men in seminaries, using a derogatory term to criticize what he described as excessive homosexual behaviour within priestly training schools.
The new guidelines have sparked mixed reactions. The head of New Ways Ministry, a U.S.-based Catholic LGBTQ outreach group, Francis DeBernardo, hailed them as a “big step forward,” citing their efforts to dispel ambiguities that had previously fueled discrimination and fear.
“It clarifies previous ambiguous statements about gay seminary candidates, which viewed them with suspicion. This ambiguity caused lots of fear and discrimination in the church,” said the ministry’s Francis DeBernardo.
Jesuit priest and LGBTQ advocate James Martin viewed the changes as a recognition that homosexuality alone should not disqualify someone from priestly formation.
“If a gay man is able to lead a healthy, chaste, and celibate life, he may be considered,” Martin told AFP.
