Duquesne University said yesterday it will allow formation of a gay student organization on campus but will require that the group adhere to Catholic Church teachings and the school's religious identity.

In explaining the decision on a potentially polarizing issue, university officials said the move was not an endorsement of homosexuality but an effort to discourage discrimination based on sexual orientation. One of the group's organizers said he was pleased, even with the restrictions imposed.

In an interview, Duquesne President Charles Dougherty said he decided to accept the recommendation of a campus panel that concluded after a semester-long study that a gay/straight alliance is consistent with Duquesne's mission and official Catholic Church teachings.

He said the issue is sometimes misunderstood, even on campus.

"Most everybody knows that the Catholic Church teaches that homosexual conduct is wrong," Dr. Dougherty said.

"What many people don't realize," he added, "is that the Catholic Church also teaches that sexual orientation is a fact, and there's diversity of sexual orientation, and that's neither right nor wrong and everybody needs to be respected -- their human dignity respected, regardless of what their sexual orientation is."

Under the ground rules, group members cannot sponsor or participate in public protests, petitions or other actions if deemed in conflict with university policy or Duquesne's Catholic identity. The group will be accountable to the Rev. Timothy Hickey, executive director of the Office of Mission and Identity, and its activities as an officially recognized group will be reviewed every two years by the president.

Although the proposal raised thorny issues -- and initially drew strong displeasure from some alumni -- Duquesne's move is not unprecedented. The school yesterday released a list of about 50 Catholic campuses with similar organizations, including high profile names like Georgetown University, Boston College, Marquette University and College of the Holy Cross.

At Duquesne, the debate surfaced nine months ago when a student, Matthew Pratter, 22, wrote in the student newspaper that his attempt to form the group had been rebuffed by campus authorities he declined to identify. Some 120 faculty and staff signed petitions urging the school to reconsider. But Duquesne leaders insisted as those petitions circulated in April that the school could not have evaluated the idea, much less rejected it, because neither Mr. Pratter nor anyone else had formally proposed such a group.

That formal proposal came in September, prompting formation of a 13-member committee of students, faculty, administrators and representatives of the religious order that founded Duquesne.

Mr. Pratter, a panel member, said yesterday he believed the group's aim of fostering dialogue and discouraging harassment can be achieved even with the university's restrictions.

"Gay people are people before they are gay, and the university is recognizing this," he said. "I'm pleased. I didn't expect the positive outcome that we had."

Dr. Dougherty said school trustees and the school's founding order were briefed on the move and supported it.

A spokesman for the Catholic Diocese of Pittsburgh could not be reached yesterday, but Dr. Dougherty said he briefed Bishop Donald Wuerl regularly on the matter.

"He knew the direction this was going in, and he supported it," Dr. Dougherty said.

He said he knew of no donor backlash but acknowledged that could happen. He said Duquesne wanted to reinforce that all of its students were welcome and supported, and he expected the group will promote understanding of the church's teachings as it pertains to sexuality and sexual orientation.

The issue drew a range of letters to the student newspaper for and against Mr. Pratter. Yesterday's announcement produced a mix of responses.

"I feel they have a right to form the group but not force their opinions on anyone," said Patrick McCarty, 20, a junior communications major from Mt. Lebanon.

"I think it was important to those students, so I think it was only fair that a compromise was made," said Christine Speranza, 20, a junior elementary education major from Baldwin.

The group is being asked to formulate a constitution that complies with Duquesne's ground rules.