Pope Francis has indicated that the Catholic Church may consider ordaining married men to address priest shortages in remote communities. In an interview with German weekly Die Zeit, the pontiff suggested that 'viri probati'—older married men already active in church affairs—could be ordained for specific roles.
'We must think about whether viri probati are a possibility,' Francis said, adding that the church would need to decide what tasks they could take on, particularly in isolated areas lacking clergy. The proposal has been debated within the church as a way to alleviate the growing shortage of priests worldwide.
The pope referenced existing married priests within the Catholic Church, including former Anglican ministers who converted, Coptic Catholics, and priests of Eastern Catholic churches. He noted that celibacy is not an inflexible dogma, a stance also taken by his predecessor Benedict XVI.
However, Francis ruled out making celibacy optional for all priests in training, stating that this approach was 'not the solution.' The discussion comes amid ongoing debates about how to address declining vocations in many regions.
