Catholic bishops create stricter rules for priests

WASHINGTON — U.S. Roman Catholic bishops have issued revised guidelines for teaching and accepting candidates for the priesthood, placing additional emphasis on celibacy and formally adopting the Vatican’s ban on “those who practice homosexuality” or support “gay culture.”

The Program of Priestly Formation, which has governed U.S. seminaries since 1971, was last updated in 1992. The new version reflects the church’s response to the clergy sexual-abuse scandal by calling for greater scrutiny of men who want to be priests. The new rules tighten admission policies and explicitly ban any applicant who has been involved in the sexual abuse of a minor or shows evidence of a sexual attraction to children.

According to the new guidelines, “thresholds pertaining to sexuality serve as the foundation for living a lifelong commitment to healthy, chaste celibacy.”