Vatican restricts gays in priesthood

Vatican City: In the first major ruling of Pope Benedict's reign, the Vatican on Tuesday imposed restrictions on homosexuals entering the Catholic priesthood, saying men must first overcome any 'transitory' gay tendencies.

The Vatican's tougher stand on homosexuality has divided American Catholics, with some welcoming it as a renewal of a Church plagued by scandal and others warning it would further alienate Catholic leaders.

Reflecting the divisions foreseen by some churchmen and scholars, a Catholic priest in Arizona announced his resignation because of 'aggressive anti-gay positions' at the Vatican and the US Church.

The ruling came in a long-awaited eight-page document that has already sparked controversy after widespread leaks in the past few weeks.

Its strict line on the place of gays in the clergy has won praise from conservatives and condemnation from liberals, and set off heated debate beyond the Catholic Church by confronting an issue that has divided Christian congregations worldwide.

The document says practicing homosexuals should be barred from entering the priesthood along with men with "deep-seated" homosexual tendencies and those who support gay culture.

The urgency of the document has been highlighted by a sexual scandal in the United States three years ago, involving mostly abuse of teenage boys by priests.

Gay groups accuse the Church of using homosexuals as scapegoats for the abuse scandals.

The 'instruction' by the Vatican's Congregation for Catholic Education makes a distinction between deep-seated homosexual tendencies and 'the expression of a transitory problem'.

It says homosexual tendencies must be clearly overcome at least three years before admission to the deaconate, a position one step short of the priesthood.

The document, released some seven months after Pope Benedict was elected, reinforces standing policy that many in the Church believe has not been properly enforced.

It does not affect men who are already priests but only those entering seminaries to prepare for the priesthood.

The paper also calls on the faithful to show respect for homosexuals.