Pope Francis said today (January 28, 2019) that he is ruling out any lifting of the celibacy requirement for priests, but also said there is reason to consider ordaining older, married men in remote communities where priests are in short supply, according to the ABC News website.
Francis added he believes priestly celibacy is a gift for the Catholic Church and opposes a blanket change to make it optional. Most Catholics believe that an unmarried priest will focus more of his time on the church, not on his family.
The celibacy question has been debated for centuries in the Catholic Church because it is a discipline -- not a doctrine -- and therefore can change.
The Catholic Church has maintained the celibacy tradition of priests since the 11th century.
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