UNITED STATES
Nashua Telegraph
By BRIAN MURPHY, The Associated Press
Published: Saturday, Oct. 15, 2005
For more than four decades, the Roman Catholic Church has followed both the rules and reality concerning gay priests.
The Vatican – as far back as 1961 – has made it clear they are not wanted. But many seminaries continued to tolerate what one conservative theologian calls a “lavender subculture” that’s brought perhaps thousands of homosexual men to ordination.
Now those parallel worlds are coming under new and uncomfortable scrutiny.
The Vatican is putting the finishing touches on a document that strengthens its view that gay orientation and the priesthood are essentially incompatible. But the text – which could be released as early as next month – reportedly will not impose a blanket ban on gay priests. Instead, it may demand years of chastity before entering seminary and prohibit any public acts deemed to support the sexually active gay community.