Can a gay man be a priest if he remains celibate?

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I still feel the answer lies within the wording of the question. If the man self identifies as gay and condones the lifestyle even though he is celibate then he cannot become a priest. But if he is faithful to the magisterium and doesn’t express his sexuality, even though it is same sex attraction then there should be no reason why he cannot enter the priesthood.
 
I think it would be very foolish of the Pope to do so. Is the Church willing to shutter thousands of parishes, depriving the faithful of the Eucharist? What is more important – sustaining the sacramental life of the Church or catering to the whims of a few people who hate homosexuals? Most homophobes I’ve met are anxious and uncertain about their own sexuality.
Prayerfully,
Petrus
Pope Benedict XVI approved the document banning gay priests. Second, I don’t think anyone in the Catholic Church is a homophobes. We prefer individuals with same sex attraction to practice chastity. I myself don’t consider myself a homophobe. I pray you do not view me as one.

The Church has always banned gay priests but the ban was never strictly enforced until the sex scandal. If you go to a few pages back the document banning gay priests is already approved back in Aug 31, 2005.
 
Pope Benedict XVI approved the document banning gay priests. Second, I don’t think anyone in the Catholic Church is a homophobes. We prefer individuals with same sex attraction to practice chastity. I myself don’t consider myself a homophobe. I pray you do not view as one.

The Church has always banned gay priests but the ban was never strictly enforced until the sex scandal. If you go to a few pages back the document banning gay priests is already approved back in Aug 2005.
The document in question bans “gay” priests, those that either live or publicly promote the lifestyle, not those with same sex attraction. It says that a three year abstinence period is sufficient to show repentance so if one has never lived the lifestyle at all they would not be disqualified.
 
The document also states,

In the discernment of qualification for Ordination, there is a grave duty for the spiritual director. While being bound by secrecy, he represents the Church in the internal forum. In meetings with the candidate, the spiritual director must especially remember the demands of the Church regarding priestly celibacy and the emotional maturity specific of a priest, as well as help him to discern if he has the necessary qualities. He has the obligation to assess all the qualities of the personality and to ascertain that the candidate does not present sexual troubles incompatible with the priesthood. If a candidate practices homosexuality or present profoundly deep-rooted homosexual tendencies, his spiritual director, like his confessor, must dissuade him, in conscience, from proceeding towards Ordination.

It remains understood that the candidate himself has the first responsibility for his own formation. He must offer himself with faith to the discernment of the Church, the bishop who calls to Orders, the rector of the seminary, the spiritual director, and the other teachers of the seminary to whom the bishop or the superior general has entrusted the duty of forming future priests. It would be gravely dishonest if a candidate were to hide his own homosexuality to enter, notwithstanding everything, to Ordination. An attitude so inauthentic does not correspond to the spirit of truth, allegiance, and availability that must characterize the personality of he who believes to be called to serve Christ and His Church in the priestly ministry.
 
The document in question bans “gay” priests, those that either live or publicly promote the lifestyle, not those with same sex attraction. It says that a three year abstinence period is sufficient to show repentance so if one has never lived the lifestyle at all they would not be disqualified.
People with same sex attraction are homosexuals.
 
The document also states,

In the discernment of qualification for Ordination, there is a grave duty for the spiritual director. While being bound by secrecy, he represents the Church in the internal forum. In meetings with the candidate, the spiritual director must especially remember the demands of the Church regarding priestly celibacy and the emotional maturity specific of a priest, as well as help him to discern if he has the necessary qualities. He has the obligation to assess all the qualities of the personality and to ascertain that the candidate does not present sexual troubles incompatible with the priesthood. If a candidate practices homosexuality or present profoundly deep-rooted homosexual tendencies, his spiritual director, like his confessor, must dissuade him, in conscience, from proceeding towards Ordination.

It remains understood that the candidate himself has the first responsibility for his own formation. He must offer himself with faith to the discernment of the Church, the bishop who calls to Orders, the rector of the seminary, the spiritual director, and the other teachers of the seminary to whom the bishop or the superior general has entrusted the duty of forming future priests. It would be gravely dishonest if a candidate were to hide his own homosexuality to enter, notwithstanding everything, to Ordination. An attitude so inauthentic does not correspond to the spirit of truth, allegiance, and availability that must characterize the personality of he who believes to be called to serve Christ and His Church in the priestly ministry.
And if the Church is going to turn away otherwise compassionate men who are quite able to fulfill the duties of the priesthood simply because of same sex attraction, which is no longer a psychological disorder, and does not mean they will molest children then maybe they are looking for that perfect priest which they never will find except in Christ. He chose twelve imperfect men and continues to choose imperfect men. Who are we to dispute that one with same sex attraction is sincerely being called to the priesthood?
 
I myself don’t consider myself a homophobe. I pray you do not view me as one.]

As a non-homophobe myself, I’ve always wondered what excites people such as yourself about this issue. My wife and I have dozens and dozens of gay and lesbian friends – people who are good Catholics, great and loving parents, prayerful priests, etc. – and it never once enters my mind to dwell on what they might or might not be doing in the privacy of their bedrooms.
 
And if the Church is going to turn away otherwise compassionate men who are quite able to fulfill the duties of the priesthood simply because of same sex attraction, which is no longer a psychological disorder, and does not mean they will molest children then maybe they are looking for that perfect priest which they never will find except in Christ. He chose twelve imperfect men and continues to choose imperfect men. Who are we to dispute that one with same sex attraction is sincerely being called to the priesthood?
Who said that same sex attraction is no longer a psychological disorder?

Catechism states,

2357 Homosexuality refers to relations between men or between women who experience an exclusive or predominant sexual attraction toward persons of the same sex. It has taken a great variety of forms through the centuries and in different cultures. Its psychological genesis remains largely unexplained. Basing itself on Sacred Scripture, which presents homosexual acts as acts of grave depravity,141 tradition has always declared that "homosexual acts are intrinsically disordered."142 They are contrary to the natural law. They close the sexual act to the gift of life. They do not proceed from a genuine affective and sexual complementarity. Under no circumstances can they be approved.
 
Mannyfit75;2744615:
I myself don’t consider myself a homophobe. I pray you do not view me as one.]

As a non-homophobe myself, I’ve always wondered what excites people such as yourself about this issue. My wife and I have dozens and dozens of gay and lesbian friends – people who are good Catholics, great and loving parents, prayerful priests, etc. – and it never once enters my mind to dwell on what they might or might not be doing in the privacy of their bedrooms.
Thank you again.
 
And I guess they are going to hell then.
If they practice homosexual acts and are unrepentent, they would. That goes with anyone who commits any mortal sin to include fornicators, and adulterers.
 
Who said that same sex attraction is no longer a psychological disorder?

Catechism states,

2357 Homosexuality refers to relations between men or between women who experience an exclusive or predominant sexual attraction toward persons of the same sex. It has taken a great variety of forms through the centuries and in different cultures. Its psychological genesis remains largely unexplained. Basing itself on Sacred Scripture, which presents homosexual acts as acts of grave depravity,141 tradition has always declared that "homosexual acts are intrinsically disordered."142 They are contrary to the natural law. They close the sexual act to the gift of life. They do not proceed from a genuine affective and sexual complementarity. Under no circumstances can they be approved.
Homosexual acts are disordered. The condition is no longer a psychological disorder. They took it off the books long ago because those with it were able to show that they can function like the rest of society.
 
If they practice homosexual acts and are unrepentent, they would. That goes with anyone who commits any mortal sin to include fornicators, and adulterers.
Stop equating same sex attrraction with homosexual acts themselves. This is plain wrong.
 
Mannyfit75;2744615:
I myself don’t consider myself a homophobe. I pray you do not view me as one.]

As a non-homophobe myself, I’ve always wondered what excites people such as yourself about this issue. My wife and I have dozens and dozens of gay and lesbian friends – people who are good Catholics, great and loving parents, prayerful priests, etc. – and it never once enters my mind to dwell on what they might or might not be doing in the privacy of their bedrooms.
Because I am here to tell you what the Catholic Church teaches. In the words from the Book of Genesis, "Male and Female, he created them.

God didn’t create Adam and Steve.
 
Homosexual acts are disordered. The condition is no longer a psychological disorder. They took it off the books long ago because those with it were able to show that they can function like the rest of society.
I did the study on what where the reasons. They based those from conducting studies of sex offenders in prison. The psychologist at the time felt the need to remove homosexuality as a disordered.
 
Stop equating same sex attrraction with homosexual acts themselves. This is plain wrong.
Then what do you call it? What do you call a man attracted towards another man? or a woman attracted towards another woman. Same sex attraction equals homosexuals. Don’t deny what they practice. Unless you can find another definition on what a homosexual is, you have no reason to deny same sex attraction is homosexual act.
 
I did the study on what where the reasons. They based those from conducting studies of sex offenders in prison. The psychologist at the time felt the need to remove homosexuality as a disordered.
Well we are not here to discuss whether or not it is a pyschological disorder but if you think it is maybe we should lock them all up in a mental hospital until they say “Hey, I am heterosexual”. Good luck.
 
Then what do you call it? What do you call a man attracted towards another man? or a woman attracted towards another woman. Same sex attraction equals homosexuals. Don’t deny what they practice. Unless you can find another definition on what a homosexual is, you have no reason to deny same sex attraction is homosexual act.
Not all those with the attraction are practicing therefore you cannot call them homosexuals. I recommend a little more charity instead of ignorance.
 
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