Vatican City - Bolivian President Evo Morales in a meeting Monday with Pope Benedict XVI said the Catholic church should abolish celibacy vows for priests.
The socialist Morales, speaking at a news conference following his morning talks with the pontiff, said he had made the appeal as a member of the "grass-roots Catholic church," the ANSA news agency reported.
"The Church must not deny a fundamental part of our human nature and must abolish celibacy so it will have fewer children not recognised by their fathers," Morales said.
Morales' remarks come as the Vatican grapples with a paedophilia scandal involving priests in several countries including the pontiff's native Germany.
Some commentators have claimed that mandatory celibacy can lead sexually repressed adults to molest children, a charge the Vatican has dismissed.
In a statement issued after Monday's meeting, made no mention of Morales' appeal on celibacy.
The talks "provided an opportunity for a fruitful exchange of opinions on questions concerning the current international and regional situation, and on the need to develop greater social awareness for the protection of the environment," the Vatican said.
"Attention then turned to various aspects of the situation in Bolivia itself, in particular collaboration between church and state in the areas of education, healthcare, and social policies in defence of the weakest," it added.
The meeting between the pontiff and Morales, who in the past has criticised the Catholic Church's hierarchy in his Latin American country, lasted some 25 minutes.
Morales,who has described himself as Catholic but also as a follower of Bolivian indigenous religious beliefs, has backed a new constitution declaring Bolivia a secular state and scrapping Roman Catholicism as the country's official religion.
He reportedly requested an audience with the pope in 2007, which was turned down.