c. 2006 Religion News Service

(UNDATED) U.S. Roman Catholic bishops have issued revised guidelines for teaching and accepting candidates for the priesthood, placing additional emphasis on celibacy and formally adopting the Vatican’s ban on “those who practice homosexuality” or support “gay culture.”

The Program of Priestly Formation, which has governed U.S. seminaries since 1971, was last updated in 1992. The new version reflects the church’s response to the clergy sexual abuse scandal by calling for greater scrutiny of men who want to be priests.

The new rules tighten admission policies and explicitly ban any applicant who has been involved in the sexual abuse of a minor or shows evidence of a sexual attraction to children.

According to the new guidelines, “thresholds pertaining to sexuality serve as the foundation for living a lifelong commitment to healthy, chaste celibacy. As we have recently seen so dramatically in the church, when such foundations are lacking in priests, the consequent suffering and scandals are devastating.”

The revised Program of Priestly Formation was formally issued Aug. 4, after it was overwhelmingly approved by the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops in June 2005 and ratified by the Vatican last November.

The new guidelines apply to men seeking ordination in a diocese, as well as potential members of religious orders.

“This edition brings about a higher level of integration of chaste, celibate living in all dimensions of priestly life,” said Monsignor Edward J. Burns, executive director of the bishops’ Secretariat for Vocations and Priestly Formation.

The revised guidelines are distinct from the Vatican’s recently completed yearlong inspection of 158 U.S. seminaries, Burns said. Reports from the Vatican-appointed inspectors will be sent to U.S. dioceses in the near future, according to Burns. He declined to be more specific.

Under the new guidelines, candidates for the priesthood must give evidence that they have been celibate for at least two years before they can be admitted into a seminary.

In addition, each seminary must now have a “coordinated and multifaceted program” _ including regular psychological evaluations, yearly conferences and “clear and prudent guidelines” _ dedicated to helping seminarians adopt skills for celibate living.

The new guidelines also say that “with regard to the admission of candidates with same-sex experiences and/or inclinations, the guidelines provided by the Holy See must be followed.”

Last November, the Vatican ruled that bishops “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.”’ Exceptions could be made, however, in the case of a “transitory problem” that had been “overcome” for at least three years.

Critics of the policy say the church is unfairly making gay men scapegoats for the clergy sexual abuse crisis. Burns said “you can be sure that the bishops clearly need to raise the bar on men who suffer from homosexual inclinations.”

“There’s a concern about men with homosexual inclinations, if they are of a more permanent nature _ for a man who enters into priestly formation, he’s going to enter into an all-male environment. … What kind of tension does that put on him? What kind of tension does that put on the seminary?”

Burns added that renouncing sexual activity may be of lesser consequence for gay men.

“There’s some question as to whether a man sacrifices as much when he’s not sacrificing a wife and children.”

KRE/PH END BURKE