The global leader of the Roman Catholic church, Pope Francis, has requested that Catholic priests be given the right to get married.
Pope Francis has requested that Roman Catholic priests be given the right to get married, Yahoo News UK reports.
The request applies to priests in Brazil, and is on the agenda for an upcoming synod (church council) in the Amazon region.
The controversial move would address the critical shortage of men joining the priesthood – but is likely to drive divisions through the church by enraging conservative factions.
A small number of married Roman Catholic priests already exist, including previously married Anglican vicars who have joined the church.
A request to lift the ban on marriage was made by Brazilian bishop Cardinal Claudio Hummes, who reportedly asked the Pope to consider ‘viri probati’, meaning married of great faith, as priests.
Derry priest Father Paddy O’Kane suggested that Pope Francis may move to end celibacy earlier this month, saying there was support amongst the church for the idea.
Fr O’Kane cited Brazilian liberation theologian Leonardo Boff, who said: “The Brazilian bishops, especially the pope’s own personal friend Cardinal Claudio Hummes, have expressly requested Pope Francis to enable married priest in Brazil to return to pastoral ministry.
“I have recently heard that the pope wants to fulfil this request – as an experimental, preliminary phase for the moment confined to Brazil.”
Earlier this year the Pope told Die Zeit newspaper: ‘We must consider if ‘viri probati’ is a possibility. Then we must determine what tasks they can perform, for example, in remote communities.’
Francis and his predecessor Benedict XVI have both stated that celibacy is not a matter of inflexible church dogma unlike, and could be debated.
Source: Yahoo News UK
You do know this kind of journalism will not lead you anywhere where. Try to be truthful or you’d just go down
Truth is bitter the right thing has to be done than the worse,better for them to have partners……
A none Christian or none Catholic has nothing to say or contribute on this matter, therefore, it is not acceptable in the Catholic Church, ( as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, Thanks.
Doctrines are made for Man, and not Man for doctrines. So if the Roman Catholic Church decides to do away with the oath of celibacy, that’s progress: for the world is dynamic.
well its a welcome development