January 11th 2025.
In a recent development, the Vatican has released new guidelines for becoming a Catholic priest. This comes after Pope Francis faced a scandal for allegedly using a homophobic slur. The guidelines state that gay men can now join the priesthood, but with a catch - they must remain celibate. This rule is already in place for heterosexual priests.
The Italian Bishops' Conference announced the new guidelines just weeks after Pope Francis gave his annual Christmas speech. It's worth noting that gay men were never explicitly banned from becoming priests, but previous teachings viewed homosexual activity as "intrinsically disordered." In 2016, an instruction was issued stating that men with "deep-seated homosexual tendencies" could not become priests. However, the new guidelines take a different approach by considering a candidate's sexual preferences as just one aspect of their personality.
The guide emphasizes that discernment should not solely focus on a candidate's sexual tendencies. Instead, it should be considered within the context of their overall personality. It's also worth mentioning that the Catholic Church still does not allow women to become priests. Only men can hold the position, and ultimately, only men can become a Pope.
Pope Francis has been praised for his more accepting stance towards the LGBT+ community during his time as the leader of the Catholic Church. He has openly stated that "being a homosexual is not a crime." However, this recent scandal has raised some concerns about his views on homosexuality. In May, the 88-year-old pontiff allegedly used a hateful slur when asked about allowing gay men to become priests as long as they remained celibate. He reportedly used the term "frociaggine," which translates to "fagginess" in English. While the pope did apologize for the incident, he is said to have repeated the slur on a separate occasion.
Some unnamed bishops who were present during the incident suggested that Pope Francis, being from Argentina, may not have realized the term's offensiveness. Despite this controversy, the pope was recently honored with the highest civilian award in the US by President Joe Biden. In presenting the award, President Biden described the pontiff as a "light of faith, hope, and love that shines brightly across the world." While this recent scandal has caused some concern, it's clear that Pope Francis is still highly regarded by many for his leadership and teachings.
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