The Vatican passed a new ruling allowing priesthood applicants in Italy to be gay—as long as they remain celibate. The New York Times reports that the guidelines do not change the Catholic Church’s teaching that “homosexual tendencies” are “intrinsically disordered” or that men with “deep-seated” gay tendencies shouldn’t become priests. But now, sexual orientation won’t automatically preclude an applicant to the seminary, as long as he remains chaste. Other countries where homosexuality is illegal or unacceptable are unlikely to follow Italy’s ruling. The change comes as the Catholic Church continues to reckon with the fact that the seminary has long been a haven for gay men, even though the church condemns same-sex relationships. Last year, Pope Francis used an anti-gay slur when he said that there were too many gay men in the seminary. The decision comes at the heels of Pope Francis' announcement of the first woman to hold a major office at the Vatican.
