"Vatican backtracks, approves pro-homosexual priest as theology dean at Italian college"

"The Vatican has approved a priest to become dean of theology in the Philosophical-Theological College in Brixen, less than one year after the Vatican rejected him for the position over his heterodox views on homosexuality.

In a series of posts April 3, it was announced that Fr. Martin Lintner would assume the role of dean of theology at Brixen’s influential Philosophical-Theological College (PTH) starting September 1, where he has taught theology since 2009, during which time he has published his support for homosexual relationships.

Bishop Ivo Muser of the local Diocese of Bozen-Brixen – who is grand chancellor of the university – wrote that the announcement was 'good news for our diocese and for our university.'

The approval came from the Vatican’s Dicastery for Culture and Education, which oversees such appointments. Led by Cardinal José Tolentino de Mendonça since September 2022 – a Portuguese prelate who has enjoyed a meteoric rise in the Roman Curia under Pope Francis – the dicastery had previously vetoed Lintner’s appointment as dean in July 2023.

Lintner’s heterodox record on Catholic moral teaching includes advocating for a change in Catholic teaching and practice regarding homosexuality.

In 2020, the Austrian bishops requested the compilation of a book entitled 'The Benediction of Same-Sex Partnerships,' to which Lintner contributed a chapter.

Following Pope Francis’ 2020 comments supporting homosexual civil unions, Lintner praised the pope for his comments. Speaking to the German bishops’ news outlet, Lintner said Francis was demonstrating a personal opinion but also it was 'an indication that a rethink is taking place at the level of the ecclesiastical magisterium on this matter.'

Continuing his comments, Lintner attested that the Church must realize that in the current 'perspective' and given certain current biblical 'exegesis' the Church could 'no longer form the foundation for condemning a same-sex partnership.'

'The unconditional condemnation of a homosexual relationship as sinful is obviously not the last word of the Church on this issue,' he claimed, in contradiction to the teaching of the Catholic Church and divine revelation.

The Catholic Church condemns homosexual activity as 'intrinsically disordered,' gravely sinful, and a 'sin that cries to heaven,' in accordance with Sacred Scripture and the constant Tradition of the Church...

'The personal judgment of conscience remains the final authority,' said Lintner, drawing on arguments made heavily in Amoris Laetitia – a document whose passages on admitting the divorced and 're-married' to Communion he also ardently proposed inserting into the Catechism.

Vatican Radio published on its website a since-deleted article summarizing Lintner’s recent remarks on homosexuality with a large picture of two women kissing. Amidst a furor over the image and the article, the image was taken down within the week though the editor of the German edition of the website said that publishing Lintner’s comments 'was not really a scandal.'

As reported by Dr. Maike Hickson in 2016, Lintner and theologian colleagues also argued passionately in line with Amoris Laetitia, stating that no 'irregular situation' could any longer be deemed gravely sinful."