Pope Francis, 88, has throughout his papacy encouraged a more inclusive Roman Catholic Church, including for LGBTQ Catholics, even though official doctrine still states that same-sex acts are “intrins

Candidates for the seminary should not be disqualified based on sexual orientation, according to new church guidelines in Italy.

Gay men can now become Catholic priests – but only if they don’t have sex, a new Vatican guideline suggests. In a surprise U-turn, the Vatican has signalled that openly gay men can now train to become priests.

New guidelines for the Catholic Church in Italy have been approved by the Vatican that oppose the rejection of a seminary candidate because he is gay, provided the applicant stays celibate. The policy doesn't change the church's stance on homosexuality but says it's just one aspect that should be taken into consideration for admission,

A new document by the Italian bishops’ conference states that being openly gay no longer bars candidates from discerning the priesthood.