Over one in five U.S. Catholic bishops now say they are comfortable ordaining men with deep-seated same-sex attraction if those men promise celibacy, signaling a major clash over the future of the priesthood and Church teaching.
Story Snapshot
- About 22% of U.S. bishops support ordaining men with deep-seated same-sex attraction who commit to celibacy.
- Another 48% call dominant same-sex attraction “worrisome” but not automatically disqualifying, revealing deep division among bishops.
- These attitudes conflict with a 2005 Vatican directive that men with “deep-seated homosexual tendencies” should not be admitted to seminary or ordained.
- Activist priest Father James Martin and LGBTQ-focused Catholic outlets welcome the survey as proof the hierarchy is softening on gay clergy.
Survey Shows Significant Support Among Bishops for Gay Candidates
Survey data from the McGrath Center and the Center for Applied Research in the Apostolate reports that 22% of U.S. bishops “agree” or “strongly agree” that they are comfortable ordaining a man who has deep-seated same-sex attraction, as long as he is firmly committed to celibacy. Outreach, a pro-LGBTQ Catholic ministry founded by Father James Martin, highlighted this result as a key finding and framed it as evidence that many bishops are ready to welcome celibate gay men into the priesthood.
The same report notes that bishops are more supportive of such ordinations than other Church leaders involved in seminary formation, including vocation directors, seminary spiritual directors, rectors, and mental health professionals. This gap suggests that some bishops may be more willing to take risks in this area than those who work most closely with seminarians every day. For Catholics worried about long-term stability and moral clarity in the clergy, that difference in judgment is an important red flag.
Bishops Split Over Whether Same-Sex Attraction Is Disqualifying
A footnote in the survey, again cited by Outreach, reveals just how divided the bishops are. When asked how a candidate’s dominant attraction to the same sex would affect their decision about his fitness for ordination, 48% of bishops said it would be “worrisome, but not by itself disqualifying,” while 45% said it would “alone” disqualify him from Holy Orders. That near-even split shows there is no clear, unified standard across American dioceses when it comes to evaluating candidates with same-sex attraction.
Outreach explains that bishops interpret the phrase “deep-seated homosexual tendencies” in at least three different ways. Some see it as focusing mainly on whether a man can live celibate; if he can, they believe he may be ordained. Others think “deep-seated” means sexuality is central to his identity, which they view as disqualifying. A third group reads the term as a blanket ban on ordaining any man who is gay. This confusion over language and application leaves ordinary Catholics unsure what their local bishop will do and whether Rome’s directives are being followed.
Tension With Vatican Teaching on Homosexual Tendencies
The growing acceptance of celibate gay seminarians among some U.S. bishops stands in direct tension with official Vatican guidance. A 2005 document, approved by Pope Benedict XVI, states that the Church “cannot admit to the seminary or to holy orders those who practice homosexuality, present deep-seated homosexual tendencies or support the so-called ‘gay culture.’” That instruction treats deep-seated homosexual tendencies themselves as a serious obstacle, not just the question of sexual behavior or public activism.
It would be interesting to know their reasons for supporting this highly controversial subject.
22% of US bishops favor ordination of men with deep-seated same-sex attraction, survey finds | News Headlines https://t.co/En7djKqkjF
— Dino Q. (@Chef242Don) July 25, 2026
Broader Catholic teaching also makes a sharp distinction between same-sex attraction and same-sex acts. The Catechism describes homosexual acts as “intrinsically immoral and contrary to the natural law,” and calls homosexual tendencies “objectively disordered,” while stating that having the inclination alone is not a sin. Catholics are called to treat people with same-sex attraction as beloved children of God yet are also warned that this attraction can cause grave spiritual and pastoral problems if it becomes central to identity or drives scandal. The survey’s results show many bishops trying to navigate that line in very different ways.
Larger Shift in Clergy Attitudes and Public Pressure
Recent research on Catholic priests’ views suggests a wider shift behind these survey numbers. One study finds that priests who approve of Pope Francis are more likely to disagree with a blanket ban on gay men becoming priests, and less likely to say such men should never be ordained. At the same time, major surveys show that Catholic laity, especially in the United States, have grown more supportive of same-sex civil unions and even same-sex marriage, further increasing pressure on bishops to soften their stance.
Meanwhile, other Christian bodies have already moved much further, openly ordaining sexually active LGBTQ clergy and blessing same-sex marriages. The Episcopal Church and several mainline Protestant denominations now permit openly gay and lesbian pastors and celebrate same-sex weddings in their churches. Many Catholics see how those churches later struggled with division, shrinking membership, and doctrinal confusion after redefining marriage and ministry. They worry that the current push to expand ordination for gay men, even under a celibacy rule, may be one more step toward that same path of moral drift and weakened teaching authority.
Sources:
lifesitenews.com, catholicculture.org, newwaysministry.org, academic.oup.com, theguardian.com, npr.org, americamagazine.org
