Married priests

The Latest

Pope Francis greets Archbishop Charles Scicluna.

Vatican official says Church should allow married priests

Jan 8, 2024

By Courtney Mares

Archbishop Charles Scicluna said that the Church should learn from the Eastern Churches, which allow married men the option to... Read more

Bishop Eugenio Cóter

In wake of the clerical pederasty scandal in Bolivia, bishop says he favors optional celibacy for priests

May 15, 2023

By Julieta Villar

Bishop Eugenio Cóter, head of the Communication Commission of the Bolivian Bishops’ Conference, said in a radio interview that optional... Read more

Pope Francis celebrates the closing Mass of Amazon synod October 27, 2019.

Pope Francis says Amazon synod was for discernment, not fighting on married priests

Sep 3, 2020

Pope Francis did not approve a proposal to ordain married men in the Amazon region because the idea was discussed,... Read more

Pope Francis celebrates the closing Mass of Amazon synod October 27, 2019.

Pope Francis' Amazon exhortation calls for holiness, not married priests

Feb 12, 2020

By Courtney Mares

Pope Francis published his response to the Vatican’s 2019 Amazon synod in an apostolic exhortation Wednesday. Despite widespread speculation following... Read more

 Press briefing on the Amazon Synod at the Holy See press office.

Amazon synod document calls for married priests and increased role for women

Oct 26, 2019

The 33-page document, approved Oct. 26, is the result of a three-week meeting in Rome.  Read more

Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI on April 7, 2012.

Ahead of synod, alumni of Benedict XVI express concerns about married priesthood

Sep 28, 2019

Just days before the Amazon synod of bishops is to convene in Rome, a symposium of students of Pope Emeritus... Read more

Married couple holding hands.

Australian bishop weighs pros, cons of married priests

Oct 2, 2018

The possibility of ordaining married men to the priesthood merits consideration both of its positives and negatives, Bishop Michael McKenna... Read more

Pope Francis meets with the Peoples of the Amazon in Puerto Maldonado on January 19, 2018.

Pan-Amazonian synod doc leaves door open to married priests proposal

Jun 8, 2018

By Elise Harris

A preparatory document for next year's Pan-Amazonian synod was released Friday, indicating that key themes for the meeting will be... Read more

Why married priests won't really fix the shortage

Jun 18, 2017

By Mary Farrow

In 1970, there was one priest for every 800 Catholics in the United States.    Read more