By Stanislaus Alla
New Delhi, June 16, 2022: Among the Religious, elections or appointments of provincial superiors or even superiors general do not easily make global news but recently the election of a 51-year-old Franciscan priest as a provincial in Germany made headlines simply because he is a self-declared gay.
Sexuality is a hot topic among people, no less among the clergy and the Religious, and homosexuality continues to be an all-time contentious topic.
More than evaluating this particular case, I simply explain why this made news and what has been the Catholic Church’s understanding on gay priests (changed, changing and still ambiguous). Finally, I suggest that the Franciscan’s story serves as an example to illustrate how the open-minded Catholics, including the clergy and Religious, are able to overcome discriminatory thoughts and practices as well as prejudices against gay priests, and, this augurs well for further changes.
The Franciscans of a German province chose a gay priest, Father Markus Fuhrmann, as their provincial in their recent elections. Let me make some comments.
In the Catholic Church, gay priest is a priest, exactly like a straight priest, who is called for ordained ministry, who makes a promise to live a life of celibacy (religious take a vow of chastity and diocesan clergy make a promise of celibacy, which in actuality means the same) and immerses himself into pastoral ministry.
Globally, there have been many gay priests who live committed and dedicated and holy lives. In spite of this, there are many who have reservations and doubts about gay priests, about their identity and call and ministry, and wonder if they can enter a seminary, get ordained priests, and, worse still, if they can live faithful celibate lives at all!
All over the world in many cultures and religions homosexuals have been discriminated and persecuted, and only recently, several state laws, including those in India, have decriminalized consensual gay sex. Views of different religions vary on homosexual orientation and activity. Official teachings of the Catholic Church and informal opinions of several prelates and scholars on homosexual orientation and activity shifted from being judgmental and condemnatory to that of being compassionate, merciful and understanding. Similar changes are notable on gay priests -on their identification and ministry.
In spite of Pope Francis’ famous comment ‘Who I am to judge,’ confusion continues to remain on priesthood of gay persons, more so after Vatican’s Congregation for Clergy issued The Gift of the Priestly Vocation in 2016 which simply said that men “who practice homosexuality, present deep-seated homosexual tendencies or support the so-called ‘gay culture’” cannot become priests. According to Thomas Reese, it came to be interpreted in two ways: that “no homosexuals could be seminarians or priests” or “a homosexual incapable of living a celibate life could not be a priest.” Note that the first focuses on sexual orientation and the second one looks at one’s ability to be a celibate. Bishops, Religious superiors and formators have been asked to screen the candidates for their sexual orientations and tendencies and act accordingly.
Homophobia made many Catholics attack gay priests and make them scapegoats, some falsely naming them responsible for clerical sexual abuse. Studies have proved that there is no connection between the two. In the US John Jay report concluded that ‘sexual orientation is not connected to pedophilia or other sex crimes.’
In spite of several studies and reports, a strong prejudicial view prevails among many that homosexuals would have uncontrollable urge for sexual activity and that they are incapable of keeping chastity. No one seemed to ask the heterosexuals if they ‘practice heterosexuality’ and if they have ‘deep-seated heterosexual tendencies.’ Recent revelations, from India and from across the world, have underlined that heterosexual clergy, including bishops, are not immune from committing sexual crimes.
Pope Francis has been forthright with the clergy: be celibate or get out. It is important to note that the emphasis is not on sexual orientation but on one’s ability or inability to be a celibate. That it is easy for heterosexuals to be celibates and not for homosexuals is a wrong way of looking at it. God is free to call both heterosexuals and homosexuals for ordained service but it is the person, who, being open to the Spirit and letting the spiritual guide direct, has to discern and see if celibacy can be his way of life.
Not being clouded by prejudices and popular fears, the German Franciscans made a wonderful choice. Looking beyond a person’s sexual orientation, hopefully, they looked at the person, his leadership qualities, his integrity, his knowledge of Franciscan spiritual heritage and the ability to animate others in that path.
A person who took vows like anyone else will be equally blessed like anyone else. More than being simply sensational news, hopefully, the Franciscan choice will generate a public discourse on the prejudices people may have against gay priests and lead all to a path of conversion -to be just and faithful disciples, looking beyond one’s sexual orientation.
(Jesuit Father Stanislaus Alla teaches moral theology at Vidyajyoti College of Theology, Delhi.)
Thank you Stanislaus for your fair and factual article. Rest assured that Brother Markus, the new Provincialminister of the Franciscans in Germany, leads an exemplary celibate life. He has been committed to justice and peace for years and is very hardworking and popular. His sermons always have an open and welcoming spirit. He is a man of reconciliation.
Greetings from Germany to India!
Compulsory celibacy is not in keeping with Yahweh’s order to multiply and fill the earth. It should be scrapped instead of living in denial. Afterall the church did exist and grew before celibacy was imposed some 1000 years ago.
Thank you, dear friends for your comments: happy that you read, reflected and commented on the essay. Several others also directly wrote to me and appreciated the balance and the clarity in the essay. It is true and let us acknowledge that the very thought of gay-priests or homosexuals is a highly polarizing topic globally (I shall leave out same-sex unions and if they can be solemnized by Church; they are more complicated topics; so, here I just stick to gay priests). Homophobia is very strong in the Church, lesser now than in the past, but it goes with strong emotions, including hatred towards gay priests (In parish meetings I see people theoretically discuss and condemn homosexuals or their activity until one among them says, I have a son/daughter who is a homosexual and I am learning to understand him/her etc…: the atmosphere changes and, suddenly all become careful and caring).
That gay seminarians or priests must be struggling to be celibates, must be sexually active is, unfortunately, what several imagine. However, lesser-talked about point is that heterosexual priests struggle equally, if not more than homosexuals, in the area of sexuality and they have a record of abusing vulnerable adults. A few years ago, Pope Francis allowed the publication of stories of Religious Sisters who were sexually violated and wanted it to be discussed.
I have no idea, not any more than you, why the Franciscans elected a priest, who is a known-gay, as their Provincial. I hope it is not because he was a gay or because he was sexually active. They must have seen him as a person who, like them, strives to keep his vows, has required qualities and virtues, and a good measure of integrity. So, my only point is, it is unfair to exclude a gay person from being a seminarian or becoming a priest or being elected as superior based on his sexual orientation. The Church’s guidelines on admitting gay persons into seminaries evolved and one can read about it online. Let us recall that Pope Francs told both heterosexuals and homosexuals to be either celibates or leave priesthood than live double lives. It applies to all with different sexual orientations. Both homosexuals and heterosexuals are fallible but if they hope to live celibate lives, why not welcome them!
From the article presented by Fr Stanislaus Alla , I understand that there are two kinds of males ; one “ opposite sex orientation and the other ,same sex orientation “ Celibacy is compulsory for both kinds. It is clear that as heterosexual priest are to be celibate, the homosexual priests too are to be celibates. Homosexual sex acts and heterosexual sex acts are sinful for the priests who took vow of celibacy. Hope Father Alla will clarify the doubts of the catholics on this difficult subject.
Thankfully I am not a moral theologian. They seem to have become like clever criminal lawyers that can defend the indefensible. Sad indeed.
On the one side “confusion continuous to remain on the priesthood of gay persons”. Also Pope Francis has been forthright with the clergy: “be celibate or get out”.
On the other side, the Franciscans in Germany have elected a gay priest as their Provincial.
I see an utter contradiction on what the Pope and the Vatican preach and what the religious congregations practice.
If the shepherds (religious leaders) are living in a confused state, what will be the fate of the sheep (lay people) ???
Very apt to the point.Thank you Stany
Thanks for the explanations Fr. Stanislas Alla. Light on such sensationalised topics is the need of the hour