Vatican to ban actively gay men from being ordained

THE Vatican is to ban gay men with what the Catholic Church describes as "deep-seated" homosexual tendencies" from being ordained as priests, according to a new document published yesterday.

Candidates for the priesthood who are actively homosexual or support "so-called gay culture" are also to be rejected, said the Congregation for Catholic Education, the Vatican department responsible for the training of clergy.

The long-awaited document, which deals exclusively with the question of gay applicants to the priesthood, is not an outright ban as was expected, but does require candidates who have dabbled in homosexuality as "a transitory problem" to be celibate for at least three years before they begin to train to be a priest.

The report goes on to state that a candidate's homosexuality can obstruct them from "properly" relating to men and women. The document states: "Such people, in fact, find themselves in a situation that seriously obstructs them from properly relating to men and women. The negative consequences that can result from ordination of persons with deep-seated homosexual tendencies should not be obscured."

Last night Peter Kearney, spokesman for the Catholic Church in Scotland, said the important issue was the ability of each candidate to devote himself to a life of celibacy and that: "The bishops' conference will be discussing the new Vatican document at their next meeting in December."