Pope Francis Is Considering Ordaining Married Men as Priests

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.