Amazon Synod Language Groups Reports from Life Site News: Portugese Circle A, B, C & Spanish Circle B, C (Week 3) Open to Ordaining Married Men as Priests

Source: https://www.lifesitenews.com/news/amazon-synod-fathers-recommend-married-priests-women-deacons-amazonian-liturgy (10/22/19)

Excerpt:

The participants were divided into two Italian language groups, four Portuguese language groups, five Spanish language groups, and one English/French group whose report was nevertheless produced in Spanish. 

Married Priests

The Italian groups noted that some synod participants had recommended the ordination of married men to the priesthood. Italian Circle A added a note of caution, saying that some Synod fathers had warned that this could affect “all continents”, “reduce the value of celibacy” and even discourage missionary efforts.

“They believe that, by virtue of the theological principle of synodality, the subject should be subjected to the opinion of the whole Church and therefore suggest a universal Synod in this regard,” Italian Circle A wrote.

Italian Circle B also acknowledged that some Synod fathers had expressed doubts about the “lack of reflection upon the causes that led to the proposal of overruling” the law of celibacy. 

Two of the Portuguese language groups were much less conservative. Portuguese Circle A stated that married indigenous men should be ordained to the priesthood. Portuguese Circle B stated that this is “considered necessary for the Pan-Amazon region”. Portuguese Circle C said that “options” regarding viri probati should be explored. Portuguese Circle D did not mention the issue. 

Spanish language groups also discussed the question. Spanish Circle B stated that it was proposed that married priests should not be treated like “second-class priests”. On the other hand, the group noted that Synod fathers were divided on the question of whether or not the question should be decided apart from other bishops.  

Spanish Circle C recommended at least considering ordaining married indigenous men to the priesthood so that more “ecclesial communities” of the Amazon region could have more frequent recourse to the Eucharist:

“... The Holy Spirit continues acting within these communities and distributing gifts and charisms, so that there are also responsible, married men of good reputation, who are models of virtuous citizenship and are good community leaders, who feel the call to serve the people of God as instruments for the sanctification of the people of God,” they wrote.  

“It will be important to discern, through consultation with the people of God and with the discernment of the ordinary of the place whether it is convenient for those people to be properly prepared and subsequently chosen for presbyteral service.” 

The English/French Circle asserted that “talk about the ‘shortage of priests’ is specific to churches” which have long had enough priests in the past. 

While this is now seen as a “crisis” in those churches, the groups pointed out that in Africa, for example, there have never been enough priests to offer Mass every Sunday. 

They wrote: “The Word is food as well as the Eucharist,” and added that the word "priest" has many meanings. “He who offers sacrifice does not need to be a leader of the community,” nor to be a pastor. “History and theology have brought together too many things: teaching, santifying, ruling. We must accept that different situations require different initiatives. God encounters us in real life.”