Pope Francis said in an interview published Thursday that the church may consider ordaining married men who could potentially then work in remote areas faced with a shortage of priests.
“We must think about whether viri probati are a possibility. Then we have to decide what tasks they can take on, for example in remote communities,”
Many in the church believe, given the lack of priests in many places, that a new path to ordination should be opened.They think that in addition to priests who take a vow of celibacy, older, married men with a long commitment to the church could also be considered.