CONTACTStaffCAREER OPPORTUNITIESADVERTISE WITH USPRIVACY POLICYPRIVACY PREFERENCESTERMS OF USELEGAL NOTICE
© 2024 Pride Publishing Inc.
All Rights reserved
All Rights reserved
By continuing to use our site, you agree to our Private Policy and Terms of Use.
The Vatican said Tuesday that it is drafting new guidelines for accepting candidates for the priesthood that will address the question of whether gays should be barred. The brief statement by the Vatican's press office gave no indication what the conclusion may be despite news reports that the document will include directives against the admission of gay men. Several Vatican congregations have been studying the issue for several years, but the question has received renewed attention in the wake of the clerical sex abuse scandal in the United States. Most of the victims of molestation by priests have been adolescent boys. Experts on sex offenders say there is no credible evidence that gay men are more likely than heterosexuals to abuse children, but several church leaders have argued that gay clergy are to blame for the scandal. The Vatican press office said the Congregation for Catholic Education has only begun drafting the document and that it is not known when it will be published, though it won't be until at least next year. A Vatican official, requesting anonymity, said the question of admitting gay men as well as other issues will be addressed in a letter to seminaries. The press office issued the statement after the Rome newspaper La Repubblica published an article Wednesday saying an initial draft had concluded that seminaries should bar men with "homosexual tendencies" and that Vatican officials were rushing to complete the document because of the U.S. scandal. The U.S. Catholic News Service reported last month that a draft document containing directives against admitting gays was circulating among various Vatican consultants but that it was not clear when it might be published. As an indication of the debate going on, an American staff member of the Congregation for Bishops, the Reverend Andrew Baker, published an article in September in the Jesuit magazine America arguing that gays should not be ordained. If a man is gay, "then he should not be admitted to holy orders," Baker wrote, "and his presence in the seminary would not only give him false hope but it may, in fact, hinder" the therapy he needs. America took up the issue in an editorial last week, declaring that healthy, dedicated gay priests "make an important contribution to the life of the church."
Want more breaking equality news & trending entertainment stories?
Check out our NEW 24/7 streaming service: the Advocate Channel!
Download the Advocate Channel App for your mobile phone and your favorite streaming device!
From our Sponsors
Most Popular
Here Are Our 2024 Election Predictions. Will They Come True?
November 07 2023 1:46 PM
17 Celebs Who Are Out & Proud of Their Trans & Nonbinary Kids
November 30 2023 10:41 AM
Here Are the 15 Most LGBTQ-Friendly Cities in the U.S.
November 01 2023 5:09 PM
Which State Is the Queerest? These Are the States With the Most LGBTQ+ People
December 11 2023 10:00 AM
These 27 Senate Hearing Room Gay Sex Jokes Are Truly Exquisite
December 17 2023 3:33 PM
10 Cheeky and Homoerotic Photos From Bob Mizer's Nude Films
November 18 2023 10:05 PM
30 Steamy Photos of Folsom Street Fair 2023 Debauchery
October 15 2023 11:06 PM
42 Flaming Hot Photos From 2024's Australian Firefighters Calendar
November 10 2023 6:08 PM
These Are the 5 States With the Smallest Percentage of LGBTQ+ People
December 13 2023 9:15 AM
60 Burly Pics from Bearrison Street Fair 2022
October 08 2023 8:30 PM
Watch Now: Advocate Channel
Trending Stories & News
For more news and videos on advocatechannel.com, click here.
Trending Stories & News
For more news and videos on advocatechannel.com, click here.
Latest Stories
Ronna McDaniel, tied up by her Trump lies, drowns in an aquarium of her own making
March 26 2024 9:00 PM
The ultimate guide to cannabis in Provincetown
March 26 2024 6:40 PM
New York Times fails to include trans voices in coverage, say GLAAD, Media Matters
March 26 2024 6:31 PM
Pete Buttigieg commits federal resources to Baltimore bridge collapse recovery
March 26 2024 5:47 PM
The horrific reality of transgender individuals in Texas prisons
March 26 2024 4:30 PM
Three more arrested in murder of queer Brazilian politician Marielle Franco
March 26 2024 3:41 PM
New Hampshire advances trans-exclusionary sports bill
March 26 2024 3:24 PM
Pride
Yahoo FeedFind your perfect fit with gender-inclusive fashion from The Pride Store
March 26 2024 2:16 PM