The Vatican has given the green light for gay men to become priests – as long as they remain celibate.
In an unexpected adjustment to practice in the Catholic Church, the new guidelines from Italian bishops will allow gay men to enter seminaries.
Although the Vatican had not explicitly prohibited gay men from entering the priesthood in the past, an instruction from 2016 barred men who have “deep-seated homosexual tendencies”.
The new guidelines, approved by Italian bishops, say seminary directors should consider a priestly candidate’s sexual preferences, but only as one aspect of their personality.
“When referring to homosexual tendencies in the formation process, it is also appropriate not to reduce the discernment to this aspect alone, but … to understand its meaning within the whole framework of the young person’s personality,” the guidelines say.
It’s not clear if the new guidelines will be reflected in other countries.
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Pope Francis, who has been pontiff since 2013, has been viewed by some as having taken a more welcoming approach towards the LGBTQ+ community.
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This has included allowing priests to bless same-sex couples on a case-by-case basis – but the admittance of gay men into the priesthood has remained a taboo subject.
Pope Francis previously called for careful screening of seminarian candidates, and has in the past sharply warned priests who pursue sexual relationships to leave the priesthood.
