The three week synod at the Vatican will be attended by bishops mostly from South America. The aim is to bring more spiritual care to parishioners in the Amazon outback. And one of the ways they will consider meeting the need for more priests is allow married men to serve in the church.
Though considered, its still a long way from becoming church policy. But, as Dr. Matthew Brunson, executive editor of EWTN Catholic Global Television network, says "This is classic Pope Francis, the concern for periphery this is part of a long term process of reforming the church and bringing long term mercy to all corners of the globe."
Brunson says the Pope favors blunt, open discussions on such topics in search of his aim of increasing mercy and service to the faithful and the need for priests to serve them. But, married, sexually active men? "Ordain tested men who might be married who would provide the sacrament in far flung parts of the Amazon," Brunson says. "That in itself is a pretty controversial topic because celibacy is mandated."
The topic is up for discussion without any commitment to implement the change close to being made. "Pope Francis is NOT somebody who's been advocating radical change in the teachings of the church," Brunson emphasizes. "More on the emphasis of how we deal with those who are suffering and those who are in need pastorally, but still at times very controversial."
The synod will also include bishops from North America who will observe and participate in discussions on how the faithful in the more developed nations of the Western Hemisphere may react to the implementation of relaxed rules to meet the demand for ordained priests in the remote areas of the Amazon.
