Rome:
Younger gay males can prepare to turn into Catholic clergymen in Italy however not in the event that they “assist the so-called homosexual tradition”, in accordance with new Church pointers accepted by the Vatican.
Whereas stressing the necessity for celibacy, the rules from the Italian Bishops’ Convention — posted on-line on Thursday — open the door for homosexual males to attend seminaries, or divinity faculties that prepare younger males to turn into clergymen.
However they got here with a caveat — that those that flaunt their homosexuality ought to be barred.
A piece of the 68-page pointers was particularly directed at “individuals with gay tendencies who strategy seminaries, or who uncover such a state of affairs throughout their coaching”.
“The Church, whereas profoundly respecting the individuals in query, can not admit to the seminary and to Holy Orders those that practise homosexuality, current deeply rooted gay tendencies or assist the so-called homosexual tradition,” learn the doc.
The objective of coaching priests-to-be is “the power to just accept as a present, to freely select and dwell chastity in celibacy”.
The brand new pointers have been accepted by the Vatican, the bishops’ convention stated in an accompanying assertion.
Pope Francis, 88, has all through his papacy inspired a extra inclusive Church, together with for LGBTQ Catholics, despite the fact that official church doctrine nonetheless states that same-sex acts are “intrinsically disordered”.
In 2013, simply weeks after taking workplace, Francis famously stated “if somebody is homosexual and is looking for the Lord and has good will, then who am I to guage him?”
In June, nonetheless, the pope used a vulgar homosexual slur in a closed-door assembly with the Italian bishops, in accordance with two Italian newspapers, setting off a minor firestorm.
The pope had expressed his opposition to homosexual males getting into seminaries, saying there was already an excessive amount of “frociaggine” within the faculties — utilizing an offensive Roman time period that translated as “faggotry”.
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