Cardinal Levada explains reasons for not admitting homosexuals to the priesthood

Rome, Italy, Mar 1, 2006 / 22:00 pm

During an installation ceremony of the new rector of the North American Pontifical College in Rome, Cardinal William Levada, prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, said, “The public recognition of homosexuality places the priest at odds with the spousal character of love.”

“A priest with open manifestations of homosexuality makes it difficult for the faithful to see him as a representative of Christ.  Likewise, the public recognition of homosexuality places the priest at odds with the spousal character of love as revealed by God and imaged in humanity,” the cardinal-designate told some 170 seminarians.

Cardinal Levada highlighted some of the new challenges facing seminaries, including implementation of the Vatican instruction on homosexuality, which says that men with "deep-seated homosexual tendencies" should not be admitted to the seminary or ordained to the priesthood.

Regarding the issue of psychosexual maturity, Cardinal-designate Levada said, "the question also needs to be viewed from its theological perspective," particularly in light of the biblical images of God's spousal relationship with his people and Gospel passages in which Jesus refers to himself as the bridegroom.

“I think we must ask, ‘Does [a priest who makes his homosexuality public] recognize how this act places an obstacle to his ability to represent Christ the bridegroom to his bride, the people of God?” said the cardinal-designate.

Does he not see how his declaration places him at odds with the spousal character of love as revealed by God and imaged in humanity?” he emphasized.