The Vatican has recently expressed its support for a significant document that opens the door for individuals with same-sex attraction to seek the priesthood in Italy.
This landmark development emerged from the Italian Episcopal Conference, which comprises the nation’s Roman Catholic bishops.
During their 78th General Conference held in 2023, they approved a pivotal document titled “The Formation of Priests in Churches in Italy: Guidelines and Standards for Seminaries.”
On December 8, the Vatican’s Office of the Dicastery for the Clergy issued a decree that allows this new guideline to take effect soon after.
The document notably reflects on earlier teachings, specifically referencing a 2005 Vatican publication known as “Instruction Concerning the Criteria for the Discernment of Vocations with Regard to Persons with Homosexual Tendencies in View of Their Admission to the Seminary and to Holy Orders.”
According to the Vatican’s longstanding position, individuals with homosexual tendencies who seek admission to seminaries or realize such inclinations during their training face specific restrictions.
The Church, while upholding a commitment to respect all persons, has historically maintained that those who engage in homosexual practices, possess deeply rooted homosexual tendencies, or advocate for what is described as “the gay culture” cannot be admitted to the seminary or ordained as priests.
However, the newly implemented guidelines indicate a shift in perspective, suggesting that individuals with same-sex attractions are not outright barred from pursuing a path to the priesthood in Italy.
This nuanced approach marks a significant re-evaluation of eligibility criteria and opens new possibilities for aspiring clergy members in Italy.
“In the formative process, 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,” 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 will be valid for three years.
The document was signed by the head of the Italian bishops, Cardinal Matteo Zuppi, who is considered a close collaborator to Pope Francis.
The objective of the preparation for a candidate who is seeking to become a priest when it comes to his sexuality, the document states, “is the ability to accept as a gift, to freely choose and to live chastity in celibacy in a responsible way.”
According to TNCR, The document, titled “The Formation of Presbyters in Italian Churches. Guidelines and Rules for Seminaries,” was approved by the Italian bishops who met for their general assembly Nov. 13-16 in Assisi.
The episcopacy in Italy, where vocations are at an all-time low, has been pushing the envelope in terms of making the Catholic Church more palatable to modern concerns by suggesting a greater role for women in the formation of priests, a commitment to combating sexual abuse and the acceptance of gay men to the priesthood.
