A Roman Catholic seminary in Montreal will become the third in Canada to require HIV tests for aspiring priests.
Rev. Marcel Demers, rector of the Grand Seminary of Montreal, said if the virus were contracted through a gay relationship, the seminary "will try to see what the person's calling really is."
Demers said that homosexuals aren't automatically refused admittance to the institution, but their chances of being accepted are slim.
The decision to require the test was made by Jean-Claude Cardinal Turcotte, the archbishop of Montreal. The new rules are expected to be in place in the fall.
Seminaries in both Edmonton and Vancouver require the test for applicants.
The test has outraged some Catholics in Montreal. They say it's discrimination and will only drive people away from their faith.
"I don't believe in that, that's not what Christ wants, that's not what Jesus wants," said 67-year-old church-goer Emile Durocher.
Michael Hendricks, of the Community of People Living with Aids in Quebec, said the decision shows the church's negative attitude towards homosexuals.
"This is just another step on the part of Cardinal Jean-Claude Turcotte to alienate gays from the Church. He's been doing it for some time now."
Meanwhile, the archbishop of Quebec City, Marc Cardinal Ouellette, says he has no plans to introduce HIV testing for aspiring priests.