Vatican to address question of gay priests

THE Vatican said yesterday it is drafting new guidelines for accepting candidates for the priesthood that will address the question of whether gays should be barred.

The brief statement by the Vatican’s Press Office gave no indication to a conclusion, despite news reports that the document will include directives against the admission of homosexuals.

Vatican congregations have been studying the issue for several years, but the question has received renewed attention after the clerical sex abuse scandal in the United States.