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The canon law of the Roman Catholic Church requires that clerics "observe perfect and perpetual continence for the sake of the kingdom of heaven";[1] for this reason, priests in Roman Catholic dioceses make vows of celibacy at their ordination, thereby agreeing to remain unmarried and abstinent throughout their lives. However, as well as this vow of celibacy, the 1961 document entitled Careful Selection and Training of Candidates for the States of Perfection and Sacred Orders states further that homosexual men should not be ordained at all.[2]
In 2005, the Church clarified that men with "deeply rooted homosexual tendencies" could not be ordained; the Vatican followed up in 2008 with a directive to implement psychological screening for candidates for the priesthood. Conditions listed for exclusion from the priesthood include "uncertain sexual identity" and "deep-seated homosexual tendencies".[3]
Despite church teachings, many Catholic clergy either identify as gay[4] or have sex with other men.[5]
- ^ "Code of Canon Law - IntraText". Vatican.va. Retrieved 2013-01-16.
- ^ Instruction on the Careful Selection And Training Of Candidates For The States Of Perfection And Sacred Orders. February 2, 1961.
- ^ Zenon Card. Grocholewski, Prefect (June 28, 2008). "Guidelines for the Use of Psychology in the Admission and Formation of Candidates for the Priesthood". Congregation for Catholic Education of the Roman Curia. Retrieved April 27, 2021.
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