Pope Francis Rejects Easing Celibacy Rule Despite Shortage in Priests

Pope Francis had expressed his disagreement with married men from the Amazon region being ordained due to the shortage of Catholic priests in the region, said an article from the Wallstreet Journal.

The Catholic Church's Stand on the Celibacy Rule

Last year, Bishop had also expressed their support. However, they can't implement any measure before the approval of the Pope.

Catholic priests are obligated to follow the rule of celibacy after being ordained. An exemption is the conversion of Angelican ministers how had married before being ordained.

Celibacy is viewed as a way of expressing one's devotion to God.

The conservative branch of the Catholic Church in Europe and North America had expressed their disagreement about having married priests in the Catholic Church. They claimed that the act may lead to the worldwide abolition of celibacy.

The Vatican had let out a statement regarding the issue. They stated the Catholic church's situation in the Amazon region is challenging. It is challenging the worldwide religious organization to win over limited views on resolving the issue. It expressed how the leadership of the church is being challenged to make a solution to only a part of the issue being addressed.

An article from the BBC stated that Pope Francis expressed the Catholic church's needs for additional ministers who understand Amazonian cultures and traditions. They need someone who is inside the Amazonian community.

Pope Francis encouraged bishops to "promote prayer for priestly vocations." Also, he urged everyone who plans to volunteer as missionaries to prefer to be assigned in the Amazon region.

In October 2019, a synod of 184 bishops held a conference in the Vatican. The bishops discussed the future of the Catholic Church in the Amazon region. Some supported the idea that older and married men be allowed to convert into priests in the Amazon.

However, arguments were given with the idea of allowing married men as a priest. Requirements were proposed to allow such a rule. This rule includes allowing well-respected married men from indigenous Amazon communities to be converted as a priest for the Catholic Church.

Approximately, 85% of the villages in the Amazon fails to celebrate the Holy Mass weekly due to their shortage of priests. Some of the locals even claim that they only see a priest in their area once a year.

"The Pope simply kicked the can down the road. He doesn't even mention the recommendation of the possibility of married deacons being ordained as priests which were what the synod conclusions had suggested," said Bishop Robert Flock from San Ignacio in the Amazon region.

Flock said that the Catholic Church is improving slowly in different areas and locations of its operation. He believed that this is one of the areas where the Church may experience challenges

The Celibacy Rule

One of the longest-running debates in the Catholic Church's history is its controversy of not allowing married men to be ordained as priests.

900 years ago, priest celibacy had been introduced in the religion. Before that period, clergy were permitted to marry. Saint Peter, the first Pope of the Catholic Church, was a married man, Other Popes before the celibacy rule also had children.

The celibacy rule aims to influence Catholic Priest into devoting themselves to the Church without any other distractions such as having to care for a wife and a family.

One important rule of the Catholic Church is that whatever the Church sees as necessary for a change is open for transformation.