Pope Francis encourages gay Italian to continue his vocation to the priesthood

Pope Francis encouraged the Italian Michele Noè Caruso, excluded from the seminary for declaring himself homosexual, to continue with his vocation.

The 22-year-old wrote an email on May 28 addressed to the Holy Father in which he recounted his personal situation, stating that he “wanted to be a priest,” but that he was not allowed to do so due to his sexual orientation. .

In the message, published in the Italian newspaper The messengerthe former seminarian also highlighted “that many remain silent out of fear” and assured that he has “chosen the truth.”

Pope Francis responded to the young man in a letter with his signature, published by the aforementioned italian newspaperin which he invited Caruso to continue with his vocation and stressed that “the Church must be open to all.”

In his letter, the Pontiff also denounces clericalism, which he refers to as “a plague” and an “ugly worldliness.”

“Jesus calls everyone, everyone. Some think that the Church is a customs office, and that is ugly. The Church must be open to all. Brother, continue with your vocation,” the Holy Father exhorted him.

The former seminarian describes Pope Francis’ response as “beautiful” and assures that it shows “who the real Pope is, not the image that some have created.”

Likewise, Caruso expresses his hope that the second and last session of the Synod of Synodality, which will be held next October in Rome, changes the situation in the seminaries.

Michele decided to tell her personal situation after the Holy Father stated on May 20 during a private audience with bishops of Italy that “there is too much faggot in certain seminaries.”

In contrast to the response he offered to Caruso, on that occasion Pope Francis asked the Italian bishops not to ordain priests or admit homosexual people into the seminary.

Following these comments, the Vatican issued a statement with the Holy Father’s apologies, assuring that he had never intended to “express himself in homophobic terms.”

Other statements by Pope Francis on seminarians with homosexual tendencies

It was not the first time that Pope Francis reminded that people with homosexual tendencies should not be admitted to seminaries. During the opening session of the 71st General Assembly of the Italian Episcopal Conference (CEI) on May 21, 2018the Holy Father advised the Italian bishops that, in these cases, “if you have the slightest doubt, it is better not to let them enter.”

Another example of this are his statements in a book titled The strength of vocation, published in December 2018in which he stated that a homosexual cannot be a candidate for the priesthood or consecrated life, and that formators must be “demanding” on this point.

The Holy Father stressed that “in consecrated life and priestly life, these types of affections have no place. For this reason, the Church recommends that people with this ingrained tendency not be accepted into the ministry or consecrated life. The ministry or consecrated life is not their place,” he asserted.

What does the Catholic Church say about the admission of homosexuals to the seminary?

According to instruction published in 2005 by the then Congregation for Catholic Education—the current Dicastery for Culture and Education—the Church “cannot admit to the seminary and Holy Orders those who practice homosexuality, present deeply rooted homosexual tendencies or maintain the called gay culture.”

“These people are, indeed, in a situation that seriously hinders a correct relationship with men and women. In no way can the negative consequences that may arise from the Ordination be ignored,” the document reads.

Likewise, in December 2016, the Congregation—now the Dicastery—for the Clergy of the Holy See published the document El Don de la vocation presbiteral. The Fundamental System of Priestly Institutionwhich confirms the standards established in the 2005 document.