Pope Francis says Catholic Church banning priests from engaging in sex is ‘temporary’

Pope Francis has said that the Catholic Church’s thousand-year-old practice of celibacy can be changed.

In a recent interview with Infobey, an Argentine publication, Francis said the ban on priests having sex was only “temporary” and that “there is no contradiction to a priest being married.”

Francis said, “There is no contradiction in being married for a priest. Celibacy in the Western Church is a temporary prescription.” “It is not eternal like priestly ordination, which is forever whether you like it or not. Celibacy, on the other hand, is a discipline.”

The Catholic Church began requiring celibacy in the 11th century, as priests without children were more likely to leave their money to the church.

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Pope Francis has said that the Catholic Church’s thousand-year-old practice of celibacy can be changed. (AP Photo/Andrew Medichini)

The Vatican bans sex between priests, although it has faced calls to end the rule.

Germany’s Catholic Church has voted for a resolution calling for Francis to end the celibacy requirement for priests.

When the Pope was asked if he believed in ending the ban on sex for priests, he said, “Everyone in the Eastern Church is married, or wants to be. Before ordination, there is a choice of being married or celibate.” option.”

Francis noted that, prior to the interview with journalist Daniel Haddad, he had met an Eastern Catholic priest who works in the Roman Curia and that the priest has a wife and son.

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Pope Francis said the ban on priests having sex was only “temporary” and that “there is no contradiction in priests marrying.” (Reuters/Pavel Mikheyev)

But his comments reveal the opposite of what has been said in the past regarding celibacy.

In 2019, Francis said, “Personally, I think celibacy is a gift to the Church. I would say that I do not agree with allowing elective celibacy.”

He also stated at the time that he believed there could be some exceptions for clergy married in the Latin Rite when there is a “pastoral need” in remote locations where there are a minimum number of priests.

In a recent interview with Haddad, Pope talked about rising divorce rates, suggesting that young people sometimes marry too quickly and that their marriages are not meant to be. On the subject of annulment, he said he looked to comments made by his predecessor, Benedict XVI.

Pope Francis said in 2019 that he does not agree with allowing elective celibacy. (Elvetican Pool / Getty Images)

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“A large proportion of church marriages are invalid because of lack of faith,” Francis said. “Sometimes one goes to a wedding, and it seems like a social reception and not a sacrament. When young people say forever, who knows what they mean by forever.”

“A very wise woman once said to me: ‘You priests are very clever. You have to spend six, seven years in seminary to be ordained a priest. On the other hand, to get married, that is for a lifetime – because A priest can leave, on the other hand, for us it’s for a lifetime—they give us four sittings,” he continued.