The Vatican has said it would consider ordaining married men as priests in remote areas of the Amazon, in a move that could help tackle the shortage of clergy in the Catholic Church.
A call for a study of the proposal was contained in a working document prepared by the Vatican for an October meeting of South American bishops in Rome. The document said celibacy was a gift for the Church, but suggested officials could study “the possibility of priestly ordination for older men, preferably indigenous and respected and accepted by their communities, even if they have stable families” in the region’s most remote areas. The proposal to allow married men to be ordained has been suggested for decades as one way of tackling a scarcity of priests.
It has drawn fresh attention thanks to Pope Francis and his push for reform. The document, which has been prepared before a synod to be held at the Vatican on October 6–27, also suggested an “official ministry” for women in the region.
Via FT
