VATICAN CITY
365Gay.com
by Malcolm Thornberry 365Gay.com European Bureau Chief
Posted: August 28, 2005 4:00 pm ET
(Vatican City) The Vatican is preparing to bar gays from entering the priesthood and is considering removing those gays who are already priests.
The new regulations for the priesthood were prepared by the Congregation for Catholic Education and Seminaries - the body that oversees all Catholic seminaries.
The document was delivered to Pope Benedict earlier this month but was not made public because the Vatican did not want it to conflict with the papal visit to Cologne.
It is the latest attempt to lay blame for the child abuse scandal that for the past several years has rocked the church, particularly in America, at the feet of gays.
In the past the church has been silent on the issue of gay priests, believing the vow of celibacy that all priests take, was sufficient.