The more than 90-pages document entitled “The Gift of the Priestly Vocation” represents a new guideline for priestly formation and one section relates to the “persons with homosexual tendencies”. That part of this document of priests says that persons with homosexual tendencies cannot be admitted to seminaries or to the priesthood. The new text, titled The Gift of the Priestly Vocation, was dated Thursday, December 8, feast of the Immaculate Conception, and a public holiday in Italy and it upgrades the document from 2005.
It says: “Such persons, in fact, find themselves in a situation that gravely hinders them from relating correctly to men and women. One must in no way overlook the negative consequences that can derive from the ordination of persons with deep-seated homosexual tendencies.” The document makes an exception for the cases in which the “homosexual tendencies” are only “the expression of a transitory problem - for example, that of adolescence not yet superseded,” but such tendencies have to be overcome at least three years before the ordination to the diaconate.
In an interview on 28 July 2013, when discussing homosexuals (both in general and their place in the clergy) and answering a question as to whether there was a "gay lobby" in the Vatican, Pope Francis said, "If someone is gay and is searching for the Lord and has good will, then who am I to judge him? The Catechism of the Catholic Church explains this in a beautiful way, saying … wait a moment, how does it say it … it says: “no one should marginalize these people for this, they must be integrated into society”."
The document stands in a contradiction to Pope Francis’s attitude back then.
“The Gift of a Priestly Vocation” caused disappointment among LGBT people and Marianne Duddy-Burke, executive director of LGBT Catholic group DignityUSA, said: “What does Francis really believe about LGBTQI people? The signals are ever more mixed,” and added that the document is “a slap in the face” that “entrenches [gay people] as second or third class citizens of the Church.”
Prominent Jesuit priest Rev. James Martin said that since the release of the 2005 document many gay priests and seminarians have chosen to keep their sexual orientation to themselves ― and some seminaries simply operate on a “don’t ask, don’t tell” basis. It remains to be seen if this document really will prevent persons with homosexual tendencies from becoming priests. Maybe gay priests would just continue to pretend they are straight as before.
Photo Credits: Samesame.com.au
