With a communiqué issued on 23 November, the German Bishops’ Conference, through its President Cardinal Karl Lehmann, has commented on the document “Instructions and norms for seminaries”, issued by the Holy See’s Congregation for Catholic Education and containing instructions for criteria for admission to seminaries. Recalling that “numerous guidelines on the formation of priests” have been published in recent decades, “also in consideration of full maturity, which comprises sexuality and the need to come to terms with celibacy, and the Apostolic Letter Pastore dabo vobis of John Paul II, the German Bishops’ Conference explain that the new instructions do not intend to “tackle all the questions relating to the affective and sexual area that may come into play during the formation of priests. Indeed, “in view of its objectives, the instructions do not treat the whole phenomenon of homosexuality. It addresses the specific needs of the priesthood” says the statement, also pointing out other recommendations contained in the new document about the need to treat homosexual persons with respect and tact, and oppose “any tendency to discrimination”. The Bishops’ Conference expresses its own satisfaction on the issuing of the document and recalls: “As normal practice, we have long proceeded in this way in our theological colleges and in our seminaries. Therefore, the instructions substantially agree with “Homosexuality and Priesthood”, a document drafted in 1999 and revised between 2003 and 2005, which was intended for internal use but has gradually entered the public domain. So, we consider the instructions a confirmation of our own practice, which is expressed on the one hand in a clear approach and on the other in differentiated counselling and decision on a case by case basis”.
