Are homosexual celibate men allowed to become Catholic Priests?

[_Abyssinia]

If a man said he was homosexual and obviously was attracted to men but he wouldn’t pursue homosexual relationships and that he was celibate, would the fact that he said he was homosexual stop him from becoming Catholic priest?

It says in the following Church document that the Church:

cannot admit to the seminary or to holy orders those who practise homosexuality, present deep-seated homosexual tendencies or support the so-called "gay culture"[[10]](http://www.vatican.va/roman_curia/congregations/ccatheduc/documents/rc_con_ccatheduc_doc_20051104_istruzione_en.html#_ftn10).

It says in this Catholic news agency article that:

It distinguished those with deep-seated homosexual tendencies from those “with homosexual tendencies that were only the expression of a transitory problem - for example, that of an adolescence not yet superseded.”
Men with transitory homosexual tendencies could be admitted to seminary, the congregation wrote, though “such tendencies must be clearly overcome at least three years before ordination to the diaconate.”

https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/...e-against-admitting-gay-men-to-seminary-65273

 

[1ke]

would the fact that he said he was homosexual stop him from becoming Catholic priest?

Maybe.

There is a very substantial discernment process and extra scrutiny in such cases.

http://www.vatican.va/roman_curia/c...con_ccatheduc_doc_20051104_istruzione_en.html

 

[goout]

Correct. This is not a question in the abstract. It is a question to be answered by a real discerning person with the Church, in light of the Church’s teaching and discipline.

 

[VanitasVanitatum]

It says those with deep seated tendencies cannot be admitted, but what that means is something that I don’t understand.

 

[commenter]

It says those with deep seated tendencies cannot be admitted, but what that means is something that I don’t understand.

Yup. Would one seminary Admissions Director’s definition be the same as another’s?

If a man wanted to enter the seminary, he might shop around for the one that had the easiest passing standard. Furthermore, this is based mostly on self report, unless he has a history of involvement with certain causes. He’s not going to answer questions in such a way as to be classes as “deeply seated”.

The reality is that in the US no seminary will put in writing this as the reason for refusing entry or dropping him from the seminary, unless they also have a policy of excluding deep seated heteros.

I think this is really a message from the Church, to the man out there; that counsels him, this is not a life you would be happy or effective in. We hope you will choose another path besides priesthood.

Is there any directive regarding gay persons becoming brothers or deacons?

 

[Tis_Bearself]

It’s my understanding that they would look at whether a candidate actually had gay relationships or a past history of involvement with the gay community.

Based on my experience, a lot of guys experiment once or twice when they are in school, or maybe they saw some gay porn once and felt excited, but they’re basically hetero, and never took things to the point of having an ongoing romance with another man, or trolling around gay hangouts on a regular basis. They probably wouldn’t be considered “deep seated”. On the other hand, if you lived with a gay partner for 2 years or used to help run a gay activist group, you might not qualify for the priesthood.