Homosexual religious without being ordained?

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Christifer

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Is it possible that a man who is homosexual but live chastely can be friar or brother but without being priest?

I know that the homosexuals can’t be ordained according to the Instruction of the Congregation for Catholic Education, but I don’t know if this Instruction includes the impossibility of joining a religious order or institute like a friar or religious without being ordained too.

God blesses all of you and sorry for my mistakes with English.
 
I am not an expert on this by any means, but I do not think homosexuality means that one cannot be ordained. There may be a need for a period of chastity/spiritual direction before preparing for the priesthood though. I am unclear about what Catholic education has to do with it. Could you tell us a bit more about your understanding?
 
Christifer said:
Is it possible that a man who is homosexual but live chastely can be friar or brother but without being priest?.
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I think the person would need to contact the Order, maybe make a retreat with them, and have a talk with the vocations director there. If it’s God’s Will a way will open.
 
If the person has made a commitment to live as a celibate, what difference does it make what gender he is giving up? 🤷
 
In Fr. Andrew Apostoli’s book on celibacy, “When God Asks for an Undivided Heart,” he has an entire chapter on homosexuality as it pertains to the celibate vocation. It would be a good read for you!
 
Would it be worth joining a lay group such as the carmelites and see ways of managing celibacy and desire and talk to your priest in confidence.

good luck
 
Seeker1961 said:
If the person has made a commitment to live as a celibate, what difference does it make what gender he is giving up? 🤷
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same sex attraction is a disorder,unlike being attracted to the opposite sex.and the vow of celibacy for someone suffering from same sex attraction is different in that they are aren’t, in your words "giving up "a good.
 
I think it is grey area on whether or not a homosexual can be a priest. Technically, no. However, if a man is not open about his attractions 🤷. I think the reality is open homosexuals are not supposed to be ordained.
 
This would be a good question for an apologist, they do a great job sorting through issues. Why don’t you try that:thumbsup:
 
It seems to me that it would be a near occasion of sin for someone with homosexual attraction to live in community with other men. Most religious houses have very little privacy and you will spend much time in close proximity to the same men every day of your life. It is something that should definitely come up in discernment as others have mentioned. Perhaps the lifestyle of a hermit would be more suitable.

To answer the question about the OP, here is the letter from the Congregation for Catholic Education regarding vocations for homosexuals:
In the light of such teaching, this dicastery, in accord with the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments, believes it necessary to state clearly that 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.”
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Christifer said:
Is it possible that a man who is homosexual but live chastely can be friar or brother but without being priest?

I know that the homosexuals can’t be ordained according to the Instruction of the Congregation for Catholic Education, but I don’t know if this Instruction includes the impossibility of joining a religious order or institute like a friar or religious without being ordained too.

God blesses all of you and sorry for my mistakes with English.
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My friend one is only homosexual if they are engaging physically in a same sex relationship. Otherwise they simply suffer from same sex inclinations. There are probably much more clergy and brothers and sisters religious that fall into this category than most of us might thing. To be ordained with thoughts like these all you have to demonstrate is that you can control yourself (which it sounds like you most certainly are doing). As long as you’re orthodox (loyal to the Catholic teachings on homosexuality) and aren’t practicing homosexuality then you are just as able to enter a religious order as anyone else.
 
Christifer said:
Is it possible that a man who is homosexual but live chastely can be friar or brother but without being priest?

I know that the homosexuals can’t be ordained according to the Instruction of the Congregation for Catholic Education, but I don’t know if this Instruction includes the impossibility of joining a religious order or institute like a friar or religious without being ordained too.

God blesses all of you and sorry for my mistakes with English.
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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

vatican.va/roman_curia/congregations/ccatheduc/documents/rc_con_ccatheduc_doc_20051104_istruzione_en.html

And Regis Scanlon OFM Cap freerepublic.com/focus/f-religion/2493081/posts :
Conclusion
A celibate man with homosexual tendencies should not be permitted to enter religious life because (1) he will be entering a near occasion of sin; (2) his vow of chastity will be meaningless; and (3) his vow of chastity will be scripturally and canonically invalid. The Catechism states, “Homosexual persons are called to chastity. By the virtues of self-mastery that teach them inner freedom, at times by the support of disinterested friendship, by prayer and sacramental grace, they can and should gradually and resolutely approach Christian perfection” (#2359). One should not, however, confuse this vocation with the call to community religious life.
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We do know that homosexual men have been ordained to the Catholic priesthood. I am not in favor of this, mind you, but it has happened. And if something HAS happened, we know it CAN happen. Not that this makes it a good thing.
 
markeverett49 said:
We do know that homosexual men have been ordained to the Catholic priesthood. I am not in favor of this, mind you, but it has happened. And if something HAS happened, we know it CAN happen. Not that this makes it a good thing.
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It happened quite frequently in the recent past, and is arguably a contributing cause of the sexual abuse scandal, and that is precisely the reason the above instruction was issued in 2005, and references the following letter.

Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments: Responses to Questions on Ordination of Homosexuals
Ordination to the diaconate and the priesthood of homosexual men or men with homosexual tendencies is absolutely inadvisable and imprudent and, from the pastoral point of view, very risky. A homosexual person, or one with a homosexual tendency is not, therefore, fit to receive the sacrament of Holy Orders.
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I think it is pretty clear. It is not enough to just be orthodox.
 
Elizium23 said:
It happened quite frequently in the recent past, and is arguably a contributing cause of the sexual abuse scandal, and that is precisely the reason the above instruction was issued in 2005, and references the following letter.

Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments: Responses to Questions on Ordination of Homosexuals

I think it is pretty clear. It is not enough to just be orthodox.
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I think it’s pretty clear too, though “inadvisable” and “risky” are not the same as “not permitted”. Mind you, I OPPOSE the ordination of openly gay men. While I was in seminary (2000-2004) this was much discussed. I am definitely opposed.
 
markeverett49 said:
I think it’s pretty clear too, though “inadvisable” and “risky” are not the same as “not permitted”. Mind you, I OPPOSE the ordination of openly gay men. While I was in seminary (2000-2004) this was much discussed. I am definitely opposed.
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Please read the whole thread, then, because that letter that said those things was merely a precursor to the instruction which said:
In the light of such teaching, this dicastery, in accord with the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments, believes it necessary to state clearly that 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.”
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Christifer said:
I know that the homosexuals can’t be ordained
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It’s better to say that the Church avoids ordaining people with this condition. They way you stated it, it sounds like there is something about homosexuality that makes ordination impossible.
 
Rainaldo said:
It’s better to say that the Church avoids ordaining people with this condition. They way you stated it, it sounds like there is something about homosexuality that makes ordination impossible.
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It’s even better, I think, to say the Church NOW avoids ordaining such men. Many active priests (-active in ministry, I mean) self-identify as gay. (I wish this were not the case but it is the case.)
 
Looking at the thread, I know we’re all talking about the issue of ordaining homosexual men, but as the OP said, he was talking about whether a homosexual could just be a regular monk without priestly faculties. (I don’t know whether the OP is looking into the priesthood or not, but that’s what I’m getting from post #1 here.)

And I’m curious about this question too because what if a woman with homosexual tendencies (but still faithful to the Church’s teaching on this issue) wants to become a nun/sister? It would seem logical that they’d follow under the same laws (at least, for non-ordained religious), no? 🤷
 
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