Homosexuals in the priesthood

by Editor · March 11, 2001

The Vatican and the Church in Italy are separately examining how to address the admission of homosexual men as candidates for the priesthood, as reported in The Southern Cross on February 18.

Archbishop Tarcisio Bertoni, secretary for the Congregation for Doctrine, describes it as “self-evident” that men with strong homosexual temptation be refused admittance to seminaries.

It is indeed commendable that the Vatican is looking at finding ways to prevent from joining the clergy those who might be tempted beyond their perseverance to violate their vow of celibacy.

It is not so evident, however, why the Church would single out men with a homosexual orientation. The Italian bishops’ vocations centre vaguely alludes to “greater risks” to celibacy in cases of homosexual priests.

Until we are presented with conclusive evidence to the effect that priests with homosexual tendencies are at greater risk to break their vows of celibacy than their heterosexual counterparts, such assertions will smack of prejudice, even homophobia.

This sort of discrimination would be at variance with the Catechism of the Catholic Church, which says: “[Homosexuals] must be accepted with respect, compassion and sensitivity. Every sign of unjust discrimination in their regard should be avoided” (paragraph 2358).

If homosexual candidates for priestly formation are to be carefully vetted which, in itself, is not a bad idea then so do heterosexual applicants.

Indeed, if the Church is going to root out undesirable candidates for the priesthood, then other categories of men should come under the microscope, too.

What of men with paedophile proclivities? Such men have done inestimable harm to the Church and the consecrated life, as evidenced by the snide, generalising and misleading remark by Mail & Guardian columnist Robert Kirby in reference to the Christian Brothers. Paedophiles in the clergy are a far greater disgrace to their office than weak men who may yield to temptation and engage in consensual sexual acts, be they with men or with women.

It should not be necessary to say this: potential molesters of children must be the first group of men to be identified and barred from the priesthood.

Steps to ensure virtue and prevent abuse among our overwhelmingly exemplary clergy are desirable. But such initiatives should not be seen as discriminatory against any class of men, least so in light of the Church’s vocations crisis.

The standards of priestly virtue should apply to all men, homosexual or heterosexual, rich or poor, young or old. Temptation does not discriminate.