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Three England and Wales bishops have backed suggestions that permission to ordain married men to the priesthood be widened.
This followed reports that Pope Francis would like bishops’ conferences to achieve consensus and put forward reform ideas to Rome.
The Pope reportedly made this suggestion to a bishop from a remote diocese in Brazil.
During the same papal audience, Bishop Erwin Krautler told media he had discussed the possibility of ordaining “viri probati” – proven married men – with Pope Francis.
The Bishop of Brentwood, Thomas McMahon, the Bishop of Hexam and Newcastle, Seamus Cunningham and the Bishop of Menevia, Tom Burns, spoke out on the subject.
Bishop McMahon told UK weekly The Tablet that his personal experience of married priests is a very good one.
His diocese has about 20 former Anglican priests, many of whom are married.
“People look to their priest as a man of God, to lead them to God,” Bishop McMahon said.
“If he is a real pastor at their service, then it is rather secondary as to whether he is married or not.”
Bishop Cunningham said ordaining married men as priests could relieve clergy shortages.
A spokesman for Bishop Cunningham said he would be making his views known to the bishops’ conference, who to meet in Low Week.
“He feels that such a move would enable the Church to make greater use of the many gifts which married men could bring to ordained ministry . . . .” the spokesman said.
Bishop Burns argued that a married priesthood would be a witness to marriage and family life.
Married priests would also bring a wider experience and understanding to priestly ministry, he said.
Bishop McMahon added, however, that married clergy would not be a “total answer” to the shortage of priests and that the discipline of celibacy should not be diminished.
A spokesman for the Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales said it would not be appropriate to comment on a private conversation between the Pope and an individual bishop.
Meanwhile, the Association of Catholic Priests in Ireland warned that the Church must ordain married men or face a “eucharistic famine”.
Sources
The Tablet
National Catholic Reporter
Irish Independent
Image: Patheos
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