By John-Henry Westen
VATICAN, November 11, 2005 (LifeSiteNews.com) – Italian Vatican reporter Andrea Tornielli writes today in Il Giornale that he has seen a copy of the Vatican document on homosexuality and the priesthood and publishes what he claims are excerpts from the document. Tornielli says the eight—page document entitled “Instruction for vocational discernment criteria regarding persons with homosexual tendencies in view of their admission to the priesthood and holy orders,” will be released on November 29 and was approved by Cardinal Zenon Grocholewski, head of the Congregation for Education,Âon NovemberÂ4.
The report confirms that the document will bar homosexuals from the priesthood as well as men with “deep rooted homosexual tendencies.” Claiming to quote the document the paper reports, “the Church cannot admit into the priesthood those who practice homosexuality or have homosexual tendencies or support the so-called ‘gay’ culture”.
The document, says the report, would leave the door to the priesthood open to those who experienced confused sexuality in their youth, as long as they can demonstrate they have overcome the problem.“Tendencies that would indicate a transitional problem, such as in the case of an adolescent who has not yet fully matured, would have to be overcome for at least three years before ordination to the diaconate,” the document is reported as saying.
The document reportedly repeats the church’s teaching against unjust discrimination towards persons with homosexual inclinations but also notes that there is “no right to ordination” and that church authorities are bound to detect “sexual disorders incompatible with the priesthood.”
The report also says that the document contains three chapters: “Affective maturity and spiritual paternity,”“Homosexuality and the ordained ministry,” and “Discernment of the suitability of candidates on the part of the Church.”
Read the full report in Il Giornale (In Italian):
https://www.ilgiornale.it/a.pic1?ID=42098&START=1644&XPREC=0