Italian Catholic seminaries open to gay men, marking a conditional inclusion

PUNCH

Young homosexual men can train to become Catholic priests in Italy but not if they “support the so-called gay culture”, according to new Church guidelines approved by the Vatican.

While stressing the need for celibacy, the guidelines from the Italian Bishops’ Conference — posted online on Thursday — open the door for gay men to attend seminaries, or divinity schools that train young men to become priests.

But they came with a caveat — that those who flaunt their homosexuality should be barred.

A section of the 68-page guidelines was specifically directed at “persons with homosexual tendencies who approach seminaries, or who discover such a situation during their training”.