Rome, Italy, Nov 10, 2005 / 22:00 pm
The Italian daily Il Giornale has published what it claims are excerpts from the upcoming Vatican document that will bar homosexuals from the priesthood.
The newspaper claims to have had access to the eight-page document that will be released under the auspices of the Congregation for Catholic Education and will be entitled, “Instruction for vocational discernment criteria regarding persons with homosexual tendencies in view of their admission to the priesthood and holy orders.”
The document will allegedly include an introduction and 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.”
Il Giornale says in the document the Vatican will reiterate that homosexual persons should be “treated with respect and kindness” and that “any sign of discrimination” against them must be avoided, but that they should be barred from entering the seminary because of their incompatibility with the priesthood.