Vatican City - The Roman Catholic Church may someday have to consider ordaining married men in order to deal with the desperate shortage of priests, according to some participants at a Vatican synod that began its work on Monday.
While the possibility is still far off, the fact that it even surfaced on the synod's first working day was significant because the 1.1 billion member Church is grappling with ways of stemming the shortage in many areas of the world.
In the past few decades, some theologians have proposed the ordination of "viri probati," which is Latin for "tested men."
That term is Church shorthand for older, married men with families who are known to lead exemplary personal lives in their communities and have a solid background in Church doctrine.
The topic of ordaining "viri probati" was raised with a question mark over it in a speech by Cardinal Angelo Scola of Venice, whose role at the synod is to coordinate and summarize proposals for discussion by the more than 250 members.
"To confront the issue of the shortage of priests, some … have put forward the request to ordain married faithful of proven faith and virtue, the so-called 'viri probati,"' he said.
Scola, who read his speech in Latin in the presence of Pope Benedict, did not say which bishops from which countries had suggested discussing the ordination of older married men.
He said the possibility of older married men becoming priests in the future would not detract from the validity of rule of celibacy for those entering the priesthood in the traditional manner at a much younger age.
But Scola indicated to reporters at a news conference afterwards that he was personally opposed to the idea.
'LOCAL CHURCHES'
Asked about his personal position, he felt the shortage of priests might be confronted by seeking "ways to redistribute the forces (of priests) among the different local churches."
The synod's official theme is the Eucharist, the sacrament in which Catholics believe a priest turns bread and wine into Christ's body and blood. Only priests can do this.