The Catholic Church in Italy has allowed openly gay men to train as priests, provided they commit to celibacy.

The new guidelines, issued by the Italian Bishops Conference (CIE) on Friday and approved by the Vatican, emphasise that a candidate's sexual orientation shouldn’t be the sole focus during priestly formation.

Instead, they must demonstrate the ability to embrace celibacy as a “gift", to “freely choose” and “responsibly live” out.

These guidelines are part of a broader document titled "The Formation of Presbyters in Italian Churches: Guidelines and Rules for Seminaries", which was approved by the bishops during their general assembly in November.

The rules reaffirm the Roman Catholic Church’s stance that men with “deep-seated” homosexual tendencies are not suitable for priesthood. However, the focus of the new guidelines is more about a candidate’s ability to live chastely, rather than excluding individuals based solely on their sexual orientation.

This approach will be trialled for three years. Pope Francis has also previously signalled a softer stance on issues related to LGBTQ+ individuals. In recent years, he has approved blessings for same-sex couples and encouraged a young gay man to consider priesthood, while facing criticism for using an anti-gay slur in a private meeting.