Moscow's Catholic Archbishop Clarifies Position on Gay Priests
An archbishop in Moscow has labeled claims that the Vatican is open to homosexuals joining the priesthood as misleading. Read Full Article at RT.com.
TroibNews 
Paolo Pezzi, the Catholic Archbishop and Metropolitan of the Archdiocese of the Mother of God in Moscow, has referred to recent reports suggesting that the Vatican is open to homosexuals joining the priesthood as misleading.
He asserted that the Vatican has never permitted homosexuals to become priests. This statement comes in response to a Reuters report earlier this month, which cited a directive from the Italian Bishops Conference indicating that the Vatican had approved new guidelines that would allow gay men to enter seminaries as long as they remain celibate.
During a conversation with Kommersant on Monday, Pezzi refuted the media's claims regarding the ordination of gay men and clarified the updated guidelines for priestly formation in Italy.
“First and foremost, it must be clearly stated that the information repeated by numerous news agencies following Reuters is not accurate,” he told the outlet.
The Italian Bishops Conference published new guidelines on January 9. Point 44 of these guidelines addresses homosexuality and suggests that seminary directors should consider candidates' sexual preferences as merely “one aspect of his personality.” This has led to media interpretations that the ban on ordaining homosexuals had been lifted, according to the archbishop.
He expressed that misleading media reports have led to a misunderstanding, culminating in the incorrect notion that “there was something fundamentally new in the decision that contradicts the Church’s traditional teaching on the matter.”
In contrast, Pezzi emphasized that the guidelines reaffirm the Church’s longstanding position, noting that the Catholic Church's teachings, as detailed in its catechism, label homosexual acts as a serious form of depravity.
He highlighted 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.” Pezzi elaborated that the Church views “homosexual tendencies” as “a specific case of the fragility of human nature,” which can be “healed through a return to God.” He remarked that individuals with such tendencies are akin to others who grapple with various sinful temptations and stressed, “We must avoid any form of unjust discrimination toward them.”
Since his papacy began in 2013, Pope Francis has made several statements about homosexuality that have been perceived as contradictory. In response to a question about whether gay men should enter the priesthood, he remarked, “Who am I to judge?” However, in 2018, he advised that gay priests should consider stepping away from Church duties, suggesting that “It’s better for them to leave the ministry or the consecrated life than to live a double life.”
Ian Smith contributed to this report for TROIB News
He asserted that the Vatican has never permitted homosexuals to become priests. This statement comes in response to a Reuters report earlier this month, which cited a directive from the Italian Bishops Conference indicating that the Vatican had approved new guidelines that would allow gay men to enter seminaries as long as they remain celibate.
During a conversation with Kommersant on Monday, Pezzi refuted the media's claims regarding the ordination of gay men and clarified the updated guidelines for priestly formation in Italy.
“First and foremost, it must be clearly stated that the information repeated by numerous news agencies following Reuters is not accurate,” he told the outlet.
The Italian Bishops Conference published new guidelines on January 9. Point 44 of these guidelines addresses homosexuality and suggests that seminary directors should consider candidates' sexual preferences as merely “one aspect of his personality.” This has led to media interpretations that the ban on ordaining homosexuals had been lifted, according to the archbishop.
He expressed that misleading media reports have led to a misunderstanding, culminating in the incorrect notion that “there was something fundamentally new in the decision that contradicts the Church’s traditional teaching on the matter.”
In contrast, Pezzi emphasized that the guidelines reaffirm the Church’s longstanding position, noting that the Catholic Church's teachings, as detailed in its catechism, label homosexual acts as a serious form of depravity.
He highlighted 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.” Pezzi elaborated that the Church views “homosexual tendencies” as “a specific case of the fragility of human nature,” which can be “healed through a return to God.” He remarked that individuals with such tendencies are akin to others who grapple with various sinful temptations and stressed, “We must avoid any form of unjust discrimination toward them.”
Since his papacy began in 2013, Pope Francis has made several statements about homosexuality that have been perceived as contradictory. In response to a question about whether gay men should enter the priesthood, he remarked, “Who am I to judge?” However, in 2018, he advised that gay priests should consider stepping away from Church duties, suggesting that “It’s better for them to leave the ministry or the consecrated life than to live a double life.”
Ian Smith contributed to this report for TROIB News
