Under Francis’ papacy, there have been increasing signs that the question of married priests could come under serious discussion. Now, Pope Francis has said it himself, publicly.
Priest celibacy not a dogma - pope
Pope Francis on Monday said he believed that Roman Catholic priests should be celibate but the rule was not an unchangeable dogma, and “the door is always open” to change.Francis made similar comments when he was archbishop of Buenos Aires but his remarks to reporters on a plane returning from a Middle East trip were the first he has made since becoming pope.“Celibacy is not a dogma,” he said in answer to a question about whether the Catholic Church could some day allow priests to marry as they can in some other Christian Churches.“It is a rule of life that I appreciate very much and I think it is a gift for the Church but since it is not a dogma, the door is always open,” he said.The Church teaches that a priest should dedicate himself totally to his vocation, essentially taking the Church as his spouse, in order to help fulfil its mission.However while priestly celibacy is a tradition going back around 1 000 years, it is not considered dogma, or an unchangeable piece of Church teaching.
There are already married priests in the Catholic Church - thousands of them. In the Catholic churches of the Eastern Rite (that’s affiliated to Rome, not the Orthodox church), the celibacy rule does not apply. Priests from other denominations that have converted to Rome, either individually or as part of the formerly Anglican Ordinariate, are accepted as married priests if already married. In Catholic teaching, it’s said “Once a priest, always a priest”, so the thousands who have “left” the priesthood to marry, remain priests - but are simply not allowed to practice their ministry. (Some do anyway, as freelance marriage officers, or officiating at funeral chapels).
At a time when the Catholic Church is crying out for priests, and appealing regularly for “vocations” to the priesthood, it’s ridiculous that there are so many people trained, experienced and willing to do the job - but are rejected because of a nonsensical out of date rule.
Under Popes John Paul II and Benedict XVI, even discussion of marriage for priests was strongly discouraged - and discussion of women priests explicitly said to be prohibited. Let serious consideration and frank discussions begin (and let them include the place of women in the diaconate and priesthood, and gay priests).
Related articles
- How Can There be Frank Discussion, in a Climate of Fear? (queeringthechurch.com)
- Gay Priests: The Challenge of Honesty (queeringthechurch.com)
- Pope’s man in Italy on abortion, homosexuality & Communion for the divorced & remarried. (commonwealmagazine.org)
- Two Popes and a Cardinal, on the Problems With Celibacy. (queeringthechurch.com)
- Murmuratio About Priestly Celibacy (commonwealmagazine.org)
- Women plead to Pope Francis to end celibacy vow (nydailynews.com)
- Pope says he favours celibacy for priests but door open to change (timesofmalta.com)
