Gay Seminary Candidates Under Scrutiny

Vatican guidelines for the handling of gay applicants to Catholic seminaries have resulted in excluding most homosexual candidates, even those who purport to be celibate.

The New York Times reports that the guidelines, originally issued in 2005 and revised in 2008, explicitly bar admission of seminary candidates who "practice homosexuality" and recommend heightened scrutiny for applicants who "show profoundly deep-rooted homosexual tendencies, or support the so-called gay culture."

"It is not enough to be sure that he is capable of abstaining from genital activity," the Vatican's Congregation for Catholic Education ruled. "It is also necessary to evaluate his sexual orientation."

Read the full article here.