San Cristobal de las Casa, Mexico - The Catholic bishop of a parish in poor southern Mexico said Wednesday he plans to ask Pope Benedict XVI for permission to resume ordaining lay Indian deacons to help make up for a shortage of priests.
Bishop Felipe Arizmendi said that during an upcoming visit to the Vatican, he also would stress the need to reopen a seminary that would train native men from the region to be priests in Indian villages.
In 2001, Pope John Paul II ordered the suspension of training for lay deacons for five years, a reflection of the church's concern that the deacons were not supervised closely enough by priests and that married deacons were almost taking on the functions of priests.
Arizmendi's predecessor, Bishop Samuel Ruiz, began the training of Indian deacons, a key part of the Indigenous Church founded by Ruiz and others that incorporates pre-Hispanic customs of the Mayan Indians.
Many Indian communities do not respect priests, who are celibate, but have higher esteem for married lay workers with families.
Arizmendi continued Ruiz's work until he received the Vatican's order, which is nearing its expiration date.