PopeFrancis aboard the papal flight from Rio de Janeiro to Rome, July 28, 2013.When the pope told reporters, "Who am I to judge" a homosexualperson, he was emphasizing a part of Catholic teaching often overlooked by themedia and misunderstood by many people.The Vatican on Wednesday declared that persons withhomosexual tendencies cannot be admitted to Catholic seminaries. This reaffirms a2005 policy now seemingly at odds with Pope Francis famous Who am I tojudge? response when asked about gay priests in 2013.The document, entitled The Gift of the PriestlyVocation, was drafted by the Vaticans Congregation for Clergy, and it ismeant to offer wide-ranging guidelines for priestly formation. In addition toseveral quotes from Pope Francis, the document draws heavily from the writingsof St. Pope John Paul II and Pope Benedict XVI.Three of the documents 210 paragraphs are devoted topersons with homosexual tendencies who desire to become priests, drawingprimarily from a 2005 document that bans candidates with deep-seatedhomosexual tendencies.Pope Francis approved the document, according to aletter signed by Cardinal Beniamino Stella, who heads the clergy office.Quoting the 2005 teaching, the new document says thatmen who practice homosexuality, present deep-seated homosexual tendencies orsupport the so-called gay culture cannot become priests.It goes on to say that gay men find themselves in asituation that gravely hinders them from relating correctly to men and women.One must in no way overlook the negative consequencesthat can derive from the ordination of persons with deep-seated homosexualtendencies, it says.But men who experience a transitory attraction toother men could be admitted to seminaries, it says, again repeating the 2005document, though such tendencies must be clearly overcome at least three yearsbefore ordination to the diaconate.The church allows individual bishops, seminary rectorsand the superiors of religious orders to screen candidates for holy orders, andas a result the guidelines issued in 2005 have been implemented in widelydifferent ways.In some instances, those in charge of entrance toseminaries and religious orders as well as those in charge priestly formationhave interpreted it to mean that gay men are prohibited from entering Catholicseminaries.In others, men who have made homosexuality theirprimary identity, or have been outspoken in supporting what the Vatican callsthe so-called gay culture, are barred.But a third interpretation has been that men whoidentify as gay can enter so long as they do not act on their desires, andmaintain their vows of chastity or promises of celibacy. (Though there are rareexceptions, such as married priests from other faith traditions who becomeCatholic, priests are required to practice celibacy.)For example, Cardinal Timothy Dolan, archbishop of NewYork and former rector of the North American College in Rome, a residence forAmerican seminarians, said in 2005 that he felt that gay men who satisfied allthe Vaticans requirements shouldnt feel discouraged from becoming priests.The new document says that gay men who seek to enterthe seminary must be honest with their spiritual directors, in a relationshipof sincere dialogue and mutual trust, and that church authorities should, inturn, dissuade gay candidates from pursuing ordination.The language barring gays from the priesthood firstcame to light in 2005 under Pope Benedict XVI, but it was crafted soon afterthe clergy sexual abuse scandal broke