FLORIDA
St. Petersburg Times
By TAMARA LUSH and WAVENEY ANN MOORE
Published November 30, 2005
Within hours of issuing a document that bars openly gay men from entering the Catholic priesthood, the Vatican on Tuesday defended the new policy, saying that homosexuality is a "sexual tendency not an identity."
Conservatives say this new policy may help reverse the "gay culture" of many U.S. seminaries, while liberal critics say the restrictions will create morale problems among clergy and lead to an even greater priest shortage in the United States.
"I'm afraid all it will do is make the closet bigger in the church," said Father Steve Rosczewski, a gay man who officiates services at the Holy Spirit Ecumenical Catholic Church in Largo after being dismissed as parish priest at a church in St. Petersburg.
The Rev. Len Plazewski, director of vocations for the Diocese of St. Petersburg, said he believes the Vatican document reflects standards already in place in most U.S. seminaries.