Pope Francis has said the Church should reflect on whether the “Holy Spirit” is demanding married priests.
In an interview with the German newspaper Die Zeit, the Pope was asked about the shortage of vocations in some dioceses. He referred to the idea of “viri probati”, in which married or unmarried laymen recognised as potential leaders are ordained as priests.
Francis said: “We have to reflect about whether the viri probati are a possibility. Then we also have to determine which tasks they could have, for example in far distant parishes… In the Church, it is always important to recognise the right moment, to recognise when the Holy Spirit demands something. That is why I say that we will continue to reflect about the viri probati.”
