Gay men will now be allowed to train as priests within the Roman Catholic Church, provided they commit to celibacy, according to new guidelines issued by the Italian Bishops Conference (CIE). This marks a departure from previous sentiments expressed by Pope Francis, who had suggested that homosexual men should not be admitted to seminaries due to the risk of “leading a double life”.

The guidelines, set out in the document Guidelines and Norms for Seminaries, stress the church’s focus on celibacy. The CIE also emphasised that “when referring to homosexual tendencies, it is appropriate not to reduce discernment only to this aspect, but, as for every candidate, to grasp its meaning in the global framework of the young person’s personality.”

The document reframes priestly training into a more holistic approach focusing on their capacity to live celibately rather than solely on their sexual orientation. It wants priests to develop the ability to “welcome chastity in celibacy as a gift, to freely choose it, and to responsibly live it.”

This move comes after the recent controversy regarding previous comments by Pope Francis, who was accused of using a homophobic Italian slur, ‘frociaggine’, which roughly translates as ‘f*ggotness’, when discussing concerns about homosexual behaviour in seminaries. After widespread criticism, the Pope apologised, stating that he had not intended to offend or express himself in homophobic terms.

The incident drew further attention after Italian publication Il Messaggero published a letter by Lorenzo Michele Noè Caruso, a 22-year-old who said he was excluded from a seminary because he was gay. Caruso criticised the Church for fostering what he called “toxic and elective clericalism.” According to CNA (Catholic News Agency), Pope Francis responded to the man personally and encouraged him to pursue a vocation to the priesthood.

Before these recent incidents, Pope Francis had been noted as fostering a more inclusive tone towards LGBTQ+ individuals within the Church. Early in his papacy, he famously asked, “Who am I to judge?” when responding to a question about gay priests. In 2023, he also approved a ruling allowing priests to bless unmarried and same-sex couples.

However, in 2016, the Vatican released instructions barring men with “deep-seated homosexual tendencies” from the priesthood. Despite the updated guidelines reflecting a notable shift towards acceptance as gay men are welcomed as catholic priests, the Roman Catholic Church continues to condemn homosexuality.