Father Z brings us an interesting tidbit:
At Vatican Insider I spotted something interesting. Each Spring the Italian bishops have a plenary meeting at the Vatican’s Paul VI hall, in the smaller hall where the Synod usually meets. The Pope attends at least part of the meeting. This year was no exception.
This year the Pope told them… my fast translation from the Italian original:
“If there’s a doubt about homosexuality, it’s better not to have them enter the seminary.”
The words of the Pope in the closed door session with the Italian bishops: “Discernment is needed”. Reaffirmed what was in the Vatican documents of 2005 and 2016
With the pastors of the CEI (Italian bishops conference) – Vatican insider learned – Francis, speaking about the downturn in vocations, one of his “three worries” for the Italian church, he was, instead, more straightforward and, inviting the bishops to oversee more the quality of future priests, then the quantity, explicitly mentioned cases of homosexual persons who desire, for various motives, to enter into the seminary. Then he invited the bishops to a “careful discernment”, adding: “if you have also the slightest doubt it’s better not to let them enter”.
One indication, from the Pope, that expresses his deep concern: these tendencies, which are “deeply rooted”, and the practice of “homosexual acts”, can compromise the life of the seminary beyond that of the young man himself and an eventual future priesthood. They can generate those “scandals” of which the Pope had spoken in his discourse at the opening of the assembly of the Italian bishops in the new hall of the Synod, that disfigure the face of the Church.
Between the lines one can read what was already put in black and white by Pope Francis in a letter of meditation given brevi manu [directly] to the Chile in bishops during their meeting in the Vatican. In a note added to the text. The Pontiff denounced verified problems in seminaries where – as he wrote – bishops and religious superiors have entrusted control to “priests suspected of practicing homosexuality”.
[…]
There’s more, but it mainly reviews what previous documents say about homosexual candidates or seminarians. I suspect someone will translate the whole thing soon… for the sake of general Jesuit reading.
Go here to read the rest. The Lavender Mafia at the Vatican must be scratching their heads over this one.
Sodomy is assault and battery. A person cannot consent to sin and remain in the love and grace of God.
When I first heard of this I immediately thought “Oh please, like he, pope who am I to judge, really wants and expects bishops to keep gays out of the seminary”
Then reading further, one sees that of course he said nothing of the sort. There is no ban, there is no hint at a ban, there is nothing other than a do what you think is best.
As soon as his fans in the gay community start to complain, he’ll come up with some sort of even weaker advice.
Does anybody really think anything will change? Does anybody really believe that he cares or that he will even visit the topic again?
But,but.but….Francis is Martin’ Best Friend forever. What will Martin ( I refuse to call him Father) do now?????