Montreal — The Grand Seminary of Montreal will require HIV tests for applicants starting this fall.
If the virus was contracted through a gay relationship, the seminary "will try to see what the person's calling really is," Rev. Marcel Demers, the seminary's rector, said.
Demers said homosexuals aren't automatically refused admittance to the institution.
However, he acknowledged their chances of being accepted are slim.
A major reason for the test is because the church believes homosexuals find it more difficult to remain chaste than heterosexual men.
"It's not that Jesus wanted homophobia," Father Demers said. "But we also realize that this profile doesn't lend itself as well to what we require of a priest."
The decision to require the test was made by Cardinal Jean-Claude Turcotte, the archbishop of Montreal.
Cardinal Turcotte was not available for comment Friday.
Robert Rousseau, the executive director of an HIV support group in Montreal, said the test could contravene the Quebec Charter of Rights and Freedoms.
However, Ginette L'Heureux, a spokeswoman for the Quebec Human Rights Commission, said it's possible the church would be exempt from the charter, which makes some exceptions for charitable and religious organizations.
The Montreal seminary is not the first to require such a test.
Edmonton's St. Joseph Seminary has required the test for at least four years and the Vancouver archdiocese requires the test for the seminary applicants it sponsors.
