Show w t Hi o oDI t DI DIo o k ki i Vatican releases Priest plan on banning active Gay men Tracy Wilkinson Los Angeles Times The Vatican on Tuesday formally released instructions that block actively gay men from the priesthood a long-anticipated long document that already has opened a d debate bate over how it will be applied and whether it will have a healing or detrimental detrimental detrimental detri detri- mental effect on the Roman Catholic Church Church conservatives are applauding the document document document docu docu- ment for taking a strong stance against what many see as an immoral gay subculture within seminaries seminaries' seminaries seminaries seminaries' semi semi- and church life l e. e and for establishing clearer restrictions on who vho is suitable to become a a priest But liberals said they feared the rules would be used to keep qualified men out of a depleted priesthood priesthood priesthood priest priest- hood because of their sexual identity even when celibate This TIlls is the first major instruction to be issued by Pope Benedict XVI and the fact that it focused on homosexuality reflected the German pontiffs concern concern con con- cern over morals he sees being eroded by Western secular culture Cardinal Zenon author of the page eight-page document as prefect of the Congregation for Catholic Education said Tuesday that it was crucial for the church to speak out now Many are defending a position in which the homosexual condition is considered a normal condition condition condition con con- of the human being almost like a third gender gender gender gen gen- der told Vatican Radio That absolutely contradicts human anthropology and according to the church contradicts natural law The document wl which ich was leaked in hi its entirety last week on a Catholic news Web site says that men with seated deep homosexual tendencies or who support a gay culture may not become Vatican Cont Cant on Page x Vatican Cont from front priests But men who have overcome a homosexuality that was transitory and who have remained celibate for three years before joining the seminary are eligible Father Robert Gahl GaW a theolo theolo- praised the document for establishing more challenging expectations for men who want to become priests Homosexuals are clearly barred he said because the rules require a man with homosexual tendencies not only to have lived a celibate life but to have overcome those tendencies tendencies tendencies ten ten- long before entering the seminary Anyone who considers himself himself him him- self homosexual ought to realize that as such the church is not calling him to the priesthood said Gall Gahl who teaches at Romes Rome's St. St Cross Pontifical University which is run by the conservative Opus Dei organization The document is strong in that it restates in this time of crisis cri cri- crisis sis in the church what has always been the traditional teaching of the church that homosexuals homosexuals' n on are objectively disordered Gahl said It screens out candidates who suffer from emotional immaturity especially in a sexual area But Father Mark R. R Francis superior general of the Rome Rome- based Clerics of St. St Viator said some of the language was so ambiguous that the guidelines would be interpreted and applied differently from diocese to dio dio- cese The document for example example example exam exam- does not provide definitions of of seated deep homosexual tendencies tendencies tendencies ten ten- and transitory homo homo- sexuality There is a question of what the document says and what good pastoral practice is Francis said We have some very good gay priests who are gay in terms of their orientation but who are celibate celibate celibate celi celi- bate and chaste Francis contin contin- If the document is interpreted interpreted interpreted inter inter- in a very strict manner it would be an impoverishment for forthe forthe forthe the church and would exclude excellent people There will have to be prudential judgment on who is accepted into seminaries II the cardinal sought to illuminate at least one of these points He said transitory transitory transitory transi tory homosexuality referred to acts committed out of youthful curiosity in a state of inebriation or by a man confined to prison for many years These were not deep tendencies but transitory transito ry circumstances and as long as they occurred more than three years before application to the seminary the person remained eligible for the priesthood The debate over the document appears most intense in the United States where homosexuality homosexuality homosexuality in the priesthood has long been an openly discussed phe phe- Although experts note that homosexuality and lia linked I the ual abuse scandal rocking the US U.S. church further highlighted the existence of gay priests because many victims were male Vatican officials began work on the document years before the scandal but its exposure made the guidelines more urgent according to a preamble to the instructions George a conservative Catholic biographer of the late Pope John Paul II n and senior fellow fellow fellow fel fel- fel- fel low at the Washington-based Washington Ethics and Public Policy Center said he hoped the document would help foster a genuine and enduring reform of the priest priest- hood But that is entirely up to local bishops he said in an mail e-mail response to a request for com com- ment No Roman document and particularly one that essen essen- reiterates standing long-standing Church policy can substitute for courageous leadership by religious religious religious reli reli- superiors calling all under their authority to live the more more excellent way by honoring the majesty of their vows The document states that the ordination of h homosexuals homosexuals' als can c n have negative consequence consequence s because they cannot relate relate relate-cor- correctly dr- dr to the men and women in their flock It says priests must develop a true sense of spiritual fatherhood for the ecclesiastical community entrusted to him The church has denounced homosexuality and proscribed gays from the priesthood since a 1961 position paper But officials say the ban has not been enforced Vatican officials also said the new guidelines are not meant to suggest removal of priests who are already serving Some gay groups have denounced the Vatican policy saying it discriminates against gays who want to be priests But church officials have responded that the right to be a priest does not exist Becoming a priest they say is a calling a gift from God |