Celibacy

Men with deep-rooted homosexual tendencies should not be admitted to the Catholic clergy, and priests who are gay should be celibate or leave rather than lead a double life, Pope Francis said in a new book.

Australian institutions “seriously failed” children in their care with tens of thousands sexually assaulted, the final report from a five-year inquiry said Dec. 15 as it recommended that celibacy among Catholic priests should be voluntary to help curb abuse.

A middle-aged Italian woman called the fire brigade after she lost the key to a chastity belt that she was wearing to prevent herself from having sexual intercourse. The woman from Padua, who has not been identified due to Italy’s privacy laws, sent stunned firefighters to the rescue after she convinced them of the urgency to break the lock.

The Catholic Church in Australia on Dec. 12 said that obligatory celibacy may have contributed to priests abusing children, and recommended that clergy should be given "psychosexual" training.