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Homosexuality in the clergy “is something that worries me,” Pope Francis has been quoted as saying in excerpts from an interview in a book called ‘The Strength of a Vocation’, released in Italy on Saturday.
The Italian daily Corriere della Sera website, which published the excerpts of the papal interview, quotes Francis as saying “in our societies it even seems homosexuality is fashionable.”
Another Italian news outlet, ANSA, quotes Francis as saying it is an “error” to argue that having gays in convents “isn’t so grave.”
“The issue of homosexuality is a very serious issue that must be adequately discerned from the beginning with the candidates [for religious life or the priesthood].
“In our societies it even seems that homosexuality is fashionable and that mentality, in some way, also influences the life of the church.”
Francis says he is concerned about this, because “perhaps at one time it did not receive much attention.”
Since 2016, training for Catholic priests has stressed the obligation of sexual abstinence. Gays and those who support “gay culture” are barred from holy orders.
The barring of people who present homosexual tendencies was first stipulated by the Church in 2005.
“In consecrated and priestly life, there’s no room for that kind of affection. Therefore, the Church recommends that people with that kind of ingrained tendency should not be accepted into the ministry or consecrated life.
“The ministry or the consecrated life is not his place.”
Francis says homosexual priests, and men and women religious, have to be urged to “to live celibacy with integrity, and above all, that they be impeccably responsible, trying never to scandalise either their communities or the faithful holy people of God.
“It’s better for them to leave the ministry or the consecrated life rather than to live a double life,” Francis says.
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