So reads the Italian Church's new guidelines, approved by the Vatican and published on Thursday. The guidelines open up for homosexual men to participate in seminars or educate themselves to become priests at theological schools.
Part of the 68-page guidelines addresses "persons with homosexual tendencies seeking priestly seminaries" or those who "discover" their orientation during education.
"The Church, which deeply respects the persons in question, cannot allow those who practice homosexuality, exhibit deeply rooted homosexual tendencies or support the so-called gay culture to gain access to priestly seminaries and priestly ordination", it states in the document.
The goal of priestly education is, according to the Church, to "freely choose and live in chastity in celibacy", they emphasize.
Pope Francis has, throughout his pontificate, encouraged a more inclusive Church, also for LGBTQI people, despite the Church's official doctrine still stating that acts between same-sex individuals are inappropriate.
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