Gay men should be allowed to become priests, New Hampshire Bishop John McCormack said in a recent article in the Manchester Union Leader article.

The Roman Catholic Church has never accepted an openly gay man, and obstacles still exist for homosexual men who want to pursue priesthood, he said. According to McCormack, a potential priest’s character should be considered over his sexual orientation. He stressed homosexuality has little to do with pedophilia.

‘I think pedophilia is one issue. I think men who abused post-pubescent boys is another issue. And I think living one’s life with integrity, be you heterosexual or homosexual, is another issue,’ McCormack told the Associated Press.

Father Paul Hefrich, of Boston University’s Marsh Chapel, said he agreed with McCormack’s statements but added all priests must accept the church’s teachings with regards to morals and matters of faith.

‘I agree with Bishop McCormack that men with homosexual inclinations should not, by virtue of that fact alone, be precluded from ordination,’ Hefrich said. ‘I also agree with him that it is necessary that men with such an inclination commit themselves to celibacy and to abide by church doctrine.’

Members of Catholic groups at local college campuses emphasized the vow of chastity should eliminate the concern about sexual orientation.

A priest’s actions are more important than his sexual inclinations, said Tzu-Huan Lo of the Harvard-Radcliffe Catholic Student Association.

‘Bishop McCormack’s comments seem consistent with the general view on sexuality with respect to clergy. Priests are expected to be truthful to their vow of chastity, and to live full lives in their celibacy’ he said. ‘Sexual attraction is something with which they must contend, regardless of whether they have heterosexual or homosexual tendencies.’

Lo said he was glad McCormack differentiated between the controversial issues of homosexuality, pedophilia and integrity. Homosexuality does not automatically indicate that pedophilia will take place and if a priest has taken a vow of celibacy, his integrity would prevent the possibility of any crime, he added.

‘The issue [of sexual preferences] arises when either priests cannot keep their vow or when they are blatantly predatorial, as in the case of pedophilia, which would breach the trust we place in clergy,’ he explained. ‘Spectacular crimes are the exception to the priestly ranks, but they have provided enough fuel recently to conflate issues of homosexual priests which by itself is not really an issue if we assume priests remain celibate homosexuality in general and pedophilia.’

Boston University students had mixed reactions to McCormack’s statements.

Emily Beaver, a College of Communication freshman, said she thought the acceptance of homosexuals into the priesthood would go against established values of the church.

‘It seems hypocritical for an institution that condemns homosexuality on so many levels to accept homosexuality in its priesthood,’ she said.

Lisa Esposito, another COM freshman, agreed with McCormack’s stance and said restricting gay priests will worsen the church’s image for the public.

‘Pedophilia is a serious issue that must be dealt with, and I agree that keeping homosexuals from entering the priesthood is not the way to go about it,’ she said. ‘If gays continue to be restricted from becoming priests, I think it will greatly offend the homosexual community and will further hurt the church’s reputation.’