Gay men will be allowed to train as priests in Roman Catholic seminaries, so long as they observe celibacy, according to new guidelines announced by the Italian Bishops Conference (CIE).

The decision marks a shift from the view previously held by Pope Francis that gay men should not be admitted to seminaries owing to the risk of them leading a double life.

According to the guidelines, the most important thing for aspiring priests is to show “an orientation towards celibate life”.

“In the formative process, when reference is made to homosexual tendencies, it is appropriate not to reduce discernment to this aspect alone,” the CIE said on Friday, adding that “the objective of the training for priesthood in the emotional-sexual sphere is the ability [to] welcome chastity in celibacy as a gift, to freely choose and to responsibly live it.”

However, it reiterated that while the Catholic church “deeply respects the people in question”, gay men who are sexually active cannot be admitted to seminaries or any other holy orders.

Pope Francis was forced to apologise in May last year for using an offensive slur during a discussion with bishops about admitting gay men into seminaries.

The rare papal apology followed reports in the Italian press that the pontiff had said there was already too much “frociaggine” in some seminaries. The Italian word roughly translates as “faggotness”. In his apology, the pope said he “never intended to offend or express himself in homophobic terms”.

After the incident, Il Messaggero newspaper published a letter from Lorenzo Michele Noè Caruso, a 22-year-old who said he was excluded from a seminary for being gay and described a culture of “toxic and elective clericalism”. The pope reportedly responded, inviting the young man to “go forward” with his vocational research.

Since he was elected pope in 2013, Francis has sought to adopt a more inclusive tone towards LGBTQ+ people in his public statements, much to the disdain of conservative cardinals.

Soon after becoming pope, he said in response to a question about gay priests: “Who am I to judge?”

He approved a ruling in December 2023 allowing priests to bless unmarried and same-sex couples in a significant change of position for the Catholic church.