Pope Francis: Catholic church should study allowing married men as priests
The Catholic church must look into the possibility of allowing married men to become ordained priests, according to Pope Francis.
The religious leader made the shocking admission in an interview published on Thursday with Germany's Die Zeit. The study, Francis says, would be due to priest shortages felt in remote communities throughout the world.
Using the term "viri probati" -- which literally translates from Latin as "tested/true men", and is used to define men of proven faith -- the pope discussed the topic that would serve as a massive change in the Catholic religion.
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"We must consider if viri probati is a possibility. Then we must determine what tasks they can perform, for example, in remote communities," he said.
Discussion of "viri probati" is nothing new in talks of how the Catholic order can maintain strength and relevance in an increasingly evolving global religious community -- but Francis has previously used his platform as the first Latin American pope to advocate for Catholics practicing their faith in remote corners of the globe, and it appears this is no exception.
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Longtime friend of His Holiness, Brazilian Cardinal Claudio Hummes, is reportedly hoping for viri probati to be allowed as priests in the Amazon, where there are a reported 10,000 Catholics per one priest.
Even now, there are certain exceptions to the "married" rule within the Catholic faith. Priests ordained in the eastern rite Catholic Church are allowed to be married, as well as Anglican priests who then convert to Catholicism.
Shocking quotes out of the Vatican are relatively frequent under Pope Francis' leadership. In February, the leader came out suggesting it's "better to be atheist than hypocritical Catholic."
