Candidates for the seminary should not be disqualified based on sexual orientation, according to new church guidelines in Italy.

The Vatican passed a new ruling allowing priesthood applicants in Italy to be gay—as long as they remain celibate. The New York Times reports that the guidelines do not change the Catholic Church’s teaching that “homosexual tendencies” are “intrinsically disordered” or that men with “deep-seated” gay tendencies shouldn’t become priests.

A new document by the Italian bishops’ conference states that being openly gay no longer bars candidates from discerning the priesthood.

The Vatican has approved new guidelines for Italian bishops, allowing homosexual individuals to enter the seminary on the condition that they refrain from sexual relations. The document was posted on the website of the Italian episcopate.