One wonders why it is so difficult for the Church to issue easily comprehensible documents.

Opinion Piece by Dr. Janet Smith

Recently, the Italian bishops’ Episcopal Commission for the Clergy and Consecrated Life released “Orientations and Norms for Seminaries” a document that, among many other matters, addresses the seminary formation of men who experience same-sex attraction. The pertinent paragraph, 199, cites “The Gift of a Priestly Vocation” (hereafter “The Gift”), a 2016 Vatican document (which, in turn, is citing “Instruction Concerning the Criteria for the Discernment of Vocations with Regard to Persons with Homosexual Tendencies in view of their Admission to the Seminary and to Holy Orders,” a 2005 Vatican document) that states:

In relation to persons with homosexual tendencies who seek admission to Seminary, or discover such a situation in the course of formation, consistent with her own Magisterium, “the Church, while profoundly respecting the persons in question, cannot admit to the seminary or to holy orders those who practice homosexuality, present deep-seated homosexual tendencies or support the so-called “gay culture.” Such persons, in fact, find themselves in a situation that gravely hinders them from relating correctly to men and women.

And here we have the rare occurrence: a text that states very clearly that men who “practice homosexuality, present deep-seated homosexual tendencies or support the so-called ‘gay culture’” cannot be admitted to the seminary, which very clearly means that they cannot be ordained to the priesthood. 

Paragraph 44 of the Italian bishops’ set of norms cites the whole of the paragraph presented above and then follows with a virtually unintelligible sentence:

In the formation process, when reference is made to homosexual tendencies, it is also appropriate not to reduce discernment only to this aspect, but, as for every candidate, to grasp its meaning in the global framework of the young person’s personality, so that, by knowing himself and integrating the objectives proper to the human and priestly vocation, he arrives at a general harmony. 

The Italian document goes on to say that the seminarian with deep-seated homosexual tendencies must be educated in the importance of achieving chastity and of being able to live a chaste, celibate life; but it makes no comment on his fitness for ordination.  

Both those opposed to homosexual men being ordained to the priesthood and those who approve of homosexual men in the priesthood have interpreted paragraph 44 to mean that if a candidate who has homosexual tendencies accepts chastity as a gift, freely chooses it, and can “live responsibly chastity in celibacy,” he could be ordained to the priesthood.  

While such an interpretation is within the realm of plausibility, Bishop Stefano Manetti, president of the Episcopal Commission for the Clergy and Consecrated Life of the Italian Bishops’ Conference, issued a clarification that could be interpreted to challenge that interpretation (tea leaves and more tea leaves!). He speaks of the need for candidates to the priesthood to achieve self-knowledge, something he says many young men lack, even those who enter seminary. He urges that the young men need to discover the truth about their sexual orientation. While he does not explicitly state that should they discover that they experience deep-seated homosexual tendencies they are ineligible to be ordained to the priesthood, it is reasonable to draw that conclusion. Why do I say that?

Click the link below to read more at Crisis Magazine:

https://crisismagazine.com/opinion/reading-tea-leaves-and-church-documents