Vatican "Pure homosexual men may enter priestly-educated seminary"

The Vatican has approved new guidelines suggesting that pure gay men who stay away from sex can enter seminary schools to receive Catholic priest education.

According to Reuters and AFP, the Italian bishops' association posted Vatican guidelines on its website that even gay men can enter seminary training priests on the 10th local time.

According to the guidelines, the seminary director should consider the sexual taste of a priest candidate, but only as one aspect of human character.

However, men who show off their homosexual tendencies should be excluded from the priesthood education.

"The church deeply respects the person, but it cannot accept anyone who practices homosexuality, shows deep-rooted homosexuality, or supports the so-called 'Gey culture' in seminary and clergy," the guidelines stated.

The Vatican has not explicitly banned gay men from entering the priesthood, but guidelines issued in 2016 said the seminary could not allow "homosexual" men to enter.

Italian bishops say the guidelines are approved by the Vatican.

The new guidelines are valid for three years of pilot operation.

However, the New York Times (NYT) predicted that the bishops' associations of homosexuality countries are likely not to accept the guidelines.

Pope Francis, considered the most progressive pope of all time, has taken an attitude of embracing LGBTQ people since taking office in 2013 and has officially approved "blessing for same-sex couples."

However, the pope was also embroiled in a controversy over homosexuality last year when he reportedly used "prociagine," a derogatory term for male homosexuals, in a closed-door meeting with Italian bishops.

The pontiff reportedly said at the time that the seminary was already full of procharges, which the Vatican issued a rare apology and explained that it had "no ill intentions."