In the interview with Die Zeit Francis confirmed his unwillingness to change the discipline of celibacy for the Latin Church but opens to discussion on the “viri probati “
In his first interview with a German newspaper published today by Die Zeit, the Pope reiterated he has no intention to change the ecclesiastical discipline of priestly celibacy in force for many centuries in the Latin Catholic Church. Francis acknowledged that “priests’ vocation crisis is a huge problem” and “the Church will have to solve it,” but “voluntary celibacy is not a solution”, nor it is opening seminaries’ doors to people who do not have an authentic vocation. It is not by allowing priests or future priests to get married that we will solve the crisis of vocations. “The Lord told us to pray. That is what is missing: prayer. More work needs to be done with the young people who are seeking guidance“.”A difficult” but “necessary” work because “young people are asking for it.” The Pope, however, also said, “We need to consider if viri probati could be a possibility. If so, we would need to determine what duties they could undertake, for example, in remote communities.”
It has never been a secret that celibate commitment abolition for those who become priest was not on the Pope’s agenda nor among his wishes. Before the election, he had said publicly. “For the moment - then Cardinal Bergoglio told rabbi Skórka - I am in favor of maintaining celibacy, with all its pros and cons, because we have ten centuries of good experiences rather than failures,” he said. “Tradition has weight and validity.” Catholic ministers had gradually chosen celibacy. Until 1100 it was optional, some chose it, some not ... it is a matter of discipline and not of faith. It can be changed. Personally, the idea of marriage has never crossed my mind. “The Pope has stated this several times, explaining that celibacy “is not a dogma,” but “it is a gift.” A precious gift.
More than eight hundred years ago, in 1179, the Lateran Council III ruled that ecclesiastical celibacy has no divine nature, but only canonical, that is a tradition that belongs to the discipline of the Latin Church. The Lateran Council III decided not to change the “apostolic discipline” of the first seven ecumenical councils (which were recognized also by the Orthodox Church), which allowed priestly ordination also of married men. It did not allow however, the possibility of getting married after the ordination. The Eastern Churches – both Orthodox and Catholic - in fact provide ordination of already married seminarians, but not marriage for already made priests. While the Latin Church has chosen to order only celibate men. The Second Vatican Council’s decree “Presbyterorum ordinis” recognizes that the choice of celibacy is not demanded by the very nature of priesthood.
So even Catholic Church has already married priests: they are priests belonging to the Eastern Churches in communion with Rome. There have been other exceptions and decisions related to emergency situations. During the pontificate of Pius XII, in 1951, the Catholic Church ordained priest former Anglicans pastors. This procedure continued in the following decades. If it were a bishop to be married, as happened to the Anglicans, he could be ordained priest, but not receive the fullness of the episcopate order in the Catholic Church.
The most significant regulation on the matter was the one established in 2009 by Benedict XVI in the Apostolic Constitution “Anglicanorum coetibus” and the establishment of the Anglo-Catholic Ordinariate to welcome back into communion with Rome, pastors, bishops and priests of the Anglican Church.
A document which effectively establishes the possibility of married clergy in the Latin Church, although as exception tied to specific criteria and conditions. In the second paragraph of Article 6 of the Constitution, after stating the rule of celibacy, Pope Ratzinger established the possibility of “admitting married men, case by case, to the sacred order of priesthood, according to the objective criteria approved by the Holy See.” The same was read in the attached supplementary provisions of the papal document, prepared by the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith with papal approval, which states that the ordinary “may present to the Holy Father a request for the admission of married men to the presbyterial Ordinariate, after a process of discernment based on objective criteria and on the needs of the Ordinariate “itself. A text that does not close the door to future possibilities.
In June 2014, Pope Francis issued a special decree that allowed Eastern married priests to work in Christian communities in the Diaspora, therefore, outside of their areas. The decree nullified previous existing bans. Once again a response to an urgency to meet the faithful’s needs. Until today, it has been the only decision taken by the current Pontiff concerning this matter. It is known that in the early years of his pontificate, Francis received a request from a bishop of the Amazon, asking for the possibility of ordering “viri probati” as they could reach indigenous communities and guarantee them the sacraments. It was Erwin Kraeutler, bishop of Austrian origin, pastor of Xingu, who asked to guarantee spiritual and sacramental assistance in a boundless territory of 700 thousand faithful scattered in 800 communities who could rely on only 27 priests.
From the words of the Pope in the interview to “Die Zeit” we understand that a reform of the discipline of celibacy is not on the horizon and has never even been his agenda, while that of “viri probati” is an open issue that needs to be treated with caution. The eventual ordination of mature men, even married, of proven faith and experience, should not be considered - it is clear from the words used by Bergoglio - as a response to those who hope priests’ marriage will populate seminars and avoid certain sexual scandals. As evidenced by the statistics of Churches which have abolished the obligation of celibacy. And as for the problems related to the sexual sphere, or the terrible child abuse crime, those same statistics attest their frequency within the family sphere and thus should not be related to the difficulties related to celibate life.
It appears rather obvious that the possible ordination of “viri probati” would remain tied to certain specific situations and under certain conditions, with the aim of “salus animarum”, i.e. the salvation of souls that should be the aim of every ecclesial reform. That is, the possibility to reach areas, populations and communities that have long remained without sacraments. February 6, 2016, speaking at the conclusion of a conference at the Pontifical Gregorian University, the Secretary of State Pietro Parolin said, “In the current situation it is often highlighted a kind of” sacramental emergency “ especially in some regions, caused by lack of priests. If the problem does not seem irrelevant, certainly there is no need for hasty solutions based on urgency. It remains true however, that the needs of evangelization, together with the history and multifaceted tradition of the Church, favor legitimate debates, if motivated by the announcement of the Gospel and conducted in a constructive manner, while safeguarding the beauty and ’ height of the celibacy choice. “
