Pope Francis on February 12 dismissed a proposal to allow some married men to be ordained in remote areas, reaffirming the Roman Catholic Church's centuries-old commitment to celibacy among priests, the Reuters website reports today (February 15, 2020).
The decision -- one of the most significant of his papacy -- appeared a victory for conservative senior clergy, who have feared a slippery slope towards a married priesthood throughout the Church if the recommendation was approved.
It was put forward by Latin American bishops as a means of easing an acute shortage of priests in the Amazon region, and passed by 128 votes to 41 at a Vatican assembly, or synod, of Roman Catholic bishops.
The issue of married priests has been a focus of deep divisions within the Church, and Vatican sources say it is now likely to give way for the rest of Francis's papacy.
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