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Skriven 2005-11-30 06:55:38 av Marc Lewis (1:396/45)
Ärende: Vatican Information Service (Press Release)
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                The following press release is Copyrighted by the
                          Vatican Information Service.
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                               VIS-Press releases

ADMISSION TO THE PRIESTHOOD AND HOMOSEXUALITY

VATICAN CITY, NOV 29, 2005 (VIS) - Made public today was the document:
"Instruction Concerning the Criteria for the Discernment of Vocations with
regard to Persons with Homosexual Tendencies in view of their Admission to the
Seminary and to Holy Orders." The document is dated November 4, memorial of St.
Charles Borromeo, patron of seminaries, and bears the signatures of Cardinal
Zenon Grocholewski and of Archbishop Michael J. Miller C.S.B., respectively
prefect and secretary of the Congregation for Catholic Education. On August 31,
2005, Benedict XVI approved the Instruction and ordered its publication.

Given below are some extracts from the document, which has been published in
English, French, Italian, Spanish, German and Portuguese.

INTRODUCTION

"In continuity with the teaching of Vatican Council II and, in particular, with
the Decree 'Optatam Totius' on priestly formation, the Congregation for
Catholic Education has published various documents with the aim or promoting a
suitable, integral formation of future priests, by offering guidelines and
precise norms regarding its diverse aspects. In the meantime, the 1990 Synod of
Bishops also reflected on the formation of priests in the circumstances of the
present day. ... Following this Synod, John Paul II published the Post- Synodal
Apostolic Exhortation 'Pastores Dabo Vobis'."

"The present Instruction does not intend to dwell on all questions in the area
of affectivity and sexuality that require an attentive discernment during the
entire period of formation. Rather, it contains norms concerning a specific
question, made more urgent by the current situation, and that is: whether to
admit to the seminary and to holy orders candidates who have deep- seated
homosexual tendencies."

AFFECTIVE MATURITY AND SPIRITUAL FATHERHOOD

"According to the constant Tradition of the Church, only a baptized person of
the male sex validly receives sacred ordination. By means of the Sacrament of
Orders, ... the priest, in fact, sacramentally represents Christ, the head,
shepherd and spouse of the Church. Because of this configuration to Christ, the
entire life of the sacred minister must be animated by the gift of his whole
person to the Church and by an authentic pastoral charity.

"The candidate to the ordained ministry, therefore, must reach affective
maturity. Such maturity will allow him to relate correctly to both men and
women, developing in him a true sense of spiritual fatherhood towards the
Church community that will be entrusted to him."

HOMOSEXUALITY AND THE ORDAINED MINISTRY

"The Catechism of the Catholic Church distinguishes between homosexual acts and
homosexual tendencies. Regarding acts, it teaches that Sacred Scripture
presents them as grave sins. The Tradition has constantly considered them as
intrinsically immoral and contrary to the natural law. Consequently, under no
circumstances can they be approved.

"Deep-seated homosexual tendencies, which are found in a number of men and
women, are also objectively disordered and, for those same people, often
constitute a trial. Such persons must be accepted with respect and sensitivity.
Every sign of unjust discrimination in their regard should be avoided."

"In the light of such teaching, this dicastery, in accord with the Congregation
for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments, believes it necessary
to state clearly that the Church, while profoundly respecting the persons in
question, cannot admit to the seminary or to holy orders those who practice
homosexuality, present deep-seated homosexual tendencies, or support the
so-called 'gay culture'."

"One must in no way overlook the negative consequences that can derive from the
ordination of persons with deep-seated homosexual tendencies.

"Different, however, would be the case in which one were dealing with
homosexual tendencies that were only the expression of a transitory problem -
for example, that of an adolescence not yet superseded. Nevertheless, such
tendencies must be clearly overcome at least three years before ordination to
the diaconate."

DISCERNMENT OF THE CHURCH CONCERNING THE SUITABILITY OF CANDIDATES

"The desire alone to become a priest is not sufficient, and there does not
exist a right to receive sacred ordination. It belongs to the Church - in her
responsibility to define the necessary requirements for receiving the
Sacraments instituted by Christ - to discern the suitability of him who desires
to enter the seminary, to accompany him during his years of formation, and to
call him to holy orders if he is judged to possess the necessary qualities.

"The formation of the future priest must distinctly articulate, in an
essentially complementary manner, the four dimensions of formation: human,
spiritual, intellectual, and pastoral. In this context, it is necessary to
highlight the particular importance of human formation, as the necessary
foundation of all formation."

"Bearing in mind the opinion of those to whom he has entrusted the
responsibility of formation, the bishop or major superior, before admitting the
candidate to ordination, must arrive at a morally certain judgement on his
qualities. In the case of a serious doubt in this regard, he must not admit him
to ordination.

"The discernment of a vocation and the maturity of the candidate is also a
serious duty of the rector and of the other persons entrusted with the work of
formation in the seminary. Before every ordination, the rector must express his
own judgment on whether the qualities required by the Church are present in the
candidate."

The spiritual director, though bound to secrecy, "represents the Church in the
internal forum. In his discussions with the candidate, the spiritual director
must especially point out the demands of the Church concerning priestly
chastity and the affective maturity that is characteristic of the priest, as
well as help him to discern whether he has the necessary qualities. The
spiritual director has the obligation to evaluate all the qualities of the
candidate's personality and to make sure that he does not present disturbances
of a sexual nature, which are incompatible with the priesthood. If a candidate
practices homosexuality or presents deep-seated homosexual tendencies, his
spiritual director, as well as his confessor, have the duty to dissuade him in
conscience from proceeding towards ordination.

"It goes without saying that the candidate himself has the primary
responsibility for his own formation. ... It would be gravely dishonest for a
candidate to hide his own homosexuality in order to proceed, despite
everything, towards ordination. Such a deceitful attitude does not correspond
to the spirit of truth, loyalty and openness that must characterize the
personality of him who believes he is called to serve Christ and His Church in
the ministerial priesthood."

CONCLUSION

"This Congregation reaffirms the need for bishops, major superiors, and all
relevant authorities to carry out an attentive discernment concerning the
suitability of candidates for holy orders, from the time of admission to the
seminary until ordination. This discernment must be done in light of a
conception of the ministerial priesthood that is in accordance with the
teaching of the Church.

"Let bishops, episcopal conferences and major superiors look to see that the
constant norms of this Instruction be faithfully observed for the good of the
candidates themselves, and to guarantee that the Church always has suitable
priests who are true shepherds according to the heart of Christ."
CIC/PRIESTHOOD HOMOSEXUALITY/... VIS 051129 (1180)

SUMMARY

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