Moscow Catholic Archbishop Refutes Reports of Gay Priests
An archbishop in Moscow has labeled the claims that the Vatican is open to welcoming homosexuals into the priesthood as misleading. Read Full Article at RT.com
TroibNews 
Paolo Pezzi has characterized claims regarding the Vatican's acceptance of homosexuals in the priesthood as misleading.
The Catholic Archbishop, who serves as the Metropolitan of the Archdiocese of the Mother of God in Moscow, asserted that the Vatican has consistently prohibited homosexuals from becoming priests. This statement follows media reports suggesting otherwise.
Earlier this month, Reuters cited a directive from the Italian Bishops Conference indicating that the Vatican had approved new guidelines allowing gay men to enter seminaries, contingent on their commitment to celibacy.
In an interview with Kommersant on Monday, Pezzi refuted these media claims and provided clarity on the revisions to the guidelines for priestly formation within the Italian Church.
“First and foremost, it must be clearly stated that the information repeated by numerous news agencies following Reuters is not accurate,” the archbishop remarked.
The Conference of Italian Bishops released updated guidelines for entering the priesthood on January 9. In point 44, which pertains to homosexuality, the guidelines suggest that seminary directors should take a candidate's sexual preferences into account as "one aspect of his personality." This led to media speculation that the long-standing ban on the ordination of homosexuals had been lifted, according to Pezzi.
He emphasized that such interpretations have fostered a misunderstanding of the situation, leading to the erroneous conclusion that “there was something fundamentally new in the decision that contradicts the Church’s traditional teaching on the matter.”
Contrary to this belief, Pezzi argued that the guidelines reinforce the Church's consistent position, citing the Catholic Church's catechism, which describes homosexual acts as a "grave form of depravity."
Quoting the document, Pezzi stated that the Church “cannot admit to the seminary and to Holy Orders those who practice homosexuality, present deeply rooted homosexual tendencies, or support the so-called gay culture.”
The Church perceives “homosexual tendencies” as a manifestation of human fragility, which can be “healed through a return to God,” Pezzi explained. He noted that individuals with such tendencies are akin to others who grapple with various sinful temptations. “We must avoid any form of unjust discrimination toward them,” he added.
Since his papacy began in 2013, Francis has issued a range of comments on homosexuality that appear ambiguous. When questioned in that year about the inclusion of gay men in the priesthood, he responded, “Who am I to judge?” However, in 2018, he suggested that gay priests should withdraw from the Church, noting, “It’s better for them to leave the ministry or the consecrated life than to live a double life.”
Allen M Lee contributed to this report for TROIB News
The Catholic Archbishop, who serves as the Metropolitan of the Archdiocese of the Mother of God in Moscow, asserted that the Vatican has consistently prohibited homosexuals from becoming priests. This statement follows media reports suggesting otherwise.
Earlier this month, Reuters cited a directive from the Italian Bishops Conference indicating that the Vatican had approved new guidelines allowing gay men to enter seminaries, contingent on their commitment to celibacy.
In an interview with Kommersant on Monday, Pezzi refuted these media claims and provided clarity on the revisions to the guidelines for priestly formation within the Italian Church.
“First and foremost, it must be clearly stated that the information repeated by numerous news agencies following Reuters is not accurate,” the archbishop remarked.
The Conference of Italian Bishops released updated guidelines for entering the priesthood on January 9. In point 44, which pertains to homosexuality, the guidelines suggest that seminary directors should take a candidate's sexual preferences into account as "one aspect of his personality." This led to media speculation that the long-standing ban on the ordination of homosexuals had been lifted, according to Pezzi.
He emphasized that such interpretations have fostered a misunderstanding of the situation, leading to the erroneous conclusion that “there was something fundamentally new in the decision that contradicts the Church’s traditional teaching on the matter.”
Contrary to this belief, Pezzi argued that the guidelines reinforce the Church's consistent position, citing the Catholic Church's catechism, which describes homosexual acts as a "grave form of depravity."
Quoting the document, Pezzi stated that the Church “cannot admit to the seminary and to Holy Orders those who practice homosexuality, present deeply rooted homosexual tendencies, or support the so-called gay culture.”
The Church perceives “homosexual tendencies” as a manifestation of human fragility, which can be “healed through a return to God,” Pezzi explained. He noted that individuals with such tendencies are akin to others who grapple with various sinful temptations. “We must avoid any form of unjust discrimination toward them,” he added.
Since his papacy began in 2013, Francis has issued a range of comments on homosexuality that appear ambiguous. When questioned in that year about the inclusion of gay men in the priesthood, he responded, “Who am I to judge?” However, in 2018, he suggested that gay priests should withdraw from the Church, noting, “It’s better for them to leave the ministry or the consecrated life than to live a double life.”
Allen M Lee contributed to this report for TROIB News
