A Vatican document took a strong line against priestly ordination of men who are active homosexuals, who have "deeply rooted" homosexual tendencies or who support the "gay culture."

The Italian news agency ADISTA published the Italian text Nov. 22, a week before it was expected to be released at the Vatican. A Vatican spokesman did not confirm or deny the authenticity of the text; church sources said the content was accurate.

The document did not define what it meant by "deeply rooted" homosexual tendencies, but contrasted them with the "transitory problems" of adolescence.

Such transitory tendencies must be clearly overcome at least three years before ordination as a deacon, it said. It did not explain what was meant by "overcome" and did not say that celibacy or chastity was the criteria for measuring suitability of such candidates for the priesthood.

The document was only six pages in the PDF form published by ADISTA, and half of the text was footnotes. It was signed by Cardinal Zenon Grocholewski, prefect of the Congregation for Catholic Education, which prepared the instruction for use by bishops, religious superiors and seminary rectors around the world.

A line at the end of the text said that on Aug. 31 the instruction was approved by Pope Benedict XVI and ordered published. The pope's approval was not in "forma specifica," as had been previously rumored, but was a more general approval.

That means the document remains the responsibility and carries the authority of the education congregation, an informed Vatican source said. While the instruction reflects and interprets canon law, it does not have precedence over the existing Code of Canon Law, he said.

The document cited the church's teachings that homosexual acts are gravely sinful and that homosexual tendencies are "objectively disordered."

In the light of those teachings, it said, the church, while deeply respecting homosexuals, "cannot admit to seminaries and to holy orders those who practice homosexuality, who present deeply rooted homosexual tendencies or who support the so-called gay culture."

"The above-mentioned persons find themselves, in fact, in a situation that seriously obstructs correct relations with men and women," it said.

The document said seminary spiritual directors have an important task in discerning the suitability of priesthood candidates. While respecting their relationship of confidentiality with seminarians, they should seek to convince those with "sexual disturbances" to abandon a priestly vocation, it said.

"If a candidate practices homosexuality or presents deeply rooted homosexual tendencies, his spiritual director and, in like manner, his confessor have the duty to dissuade him, in conscience, from proceeding toward ordination," it said.

It would be "gravely dishonest" for a seminarian to hide his homosexuality in order to reach ordination, it said.

The text urged bishops, bishops' conferences and seminary officials to "be vigilant" so that the instruction's norms are faithfully observed "for the good of the candidates themselves and to guarantee that the church always has priests who are suitable, true pastors according to the heart of Christ."

The document said the need to issue specific norms on admitting homosexuals was "made more urgent by the current situation"; it did not elaborate on that statement.

The full title of the document was "Instruction on the Criteria of Vocational Discernment Regarding Persons With Homosexual Tendencies in View of Their Admission to the Priesthood and to Sacred Orders."

---CNS