Pope Francis called the vow of celibacy for priests a temporary measure and thought about revising the thousand-year-old rules, reports the Daily Mail.
The pontiff noted that the rule, introduced in the 11th century, was only a "temporary prescription", and there was "no contradiction" that a priest could marry. «On the other hand, celibacy is a discipline,” Francis said.
According to him, the vow of celibacy for Catholic clergy was only introduced as a requirement by the Roman Catholic Church in the 11th century for financial reasons, since childless clergy were more likely to leave wealth to the church.
When the Pope was asked if the Vatican would reconsider this practice, he answered yes, and cited the example of the Orthodox Church.
“In fact, everyone in the Eastern Church (Orthodox – ed.) gets married. Or those who want to. Before ordination there is a choice: to marry or remain celibate,” the pontiff said.
