ITALY
Catholic News Service
By Catholic News Service
ASSISI, Italy (CNS) -- Deciding not to accept as candidates for the priesthood men with "deeply rooted homosexual tendencies" would not be an act of discrimination, said the general secretary of the Italian bishops' conference.
The bishops, meeting in Assisi, approved new norms for seminary admittance and the formation of priests, including the rejection of mandatory psychological testing of candidates.
While they provided some information about their discussion, the bishops said they would not release the text of the norms until the Vatican had approved them.
Bishop Giuseppe Betori, conference general secretary, told reporters Nov. 15 the text includes the key passages cautioning against admitting homosexual candidates for the priesthood found in an instruction from the Congregation for Catholic Education.