"Dearth of Priests Problem of Whole Catholic Church, Except in Some Nations": Amazonian Bishop Azcona of Para

Source: https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/europe/roman-catholic-bishops-propose-opening-priesthood-to-married-deacons-in-the-amazon-region/2019/10/26/671b9ae2-f6a0-11e9-b2d2-1f37c9d8

(10/29/2019)

Excerpt:

Roman Catholic bishops recommend allowing married deacons to become priests in the Amazon region

Pope Francis waves to a young child held out to him by a crowd member during the general audience at the Vatican on Oct. 23, 2019. (Vatican Media/Via Reuters)

By 

Stefano Pitrelli and 

Terrence McCoy 

Oct. 26, 2019 at 2:36 p.m. PDT

ROME — Roman Catholic bishops from across the Amazon recommended Saturday that the church allow married deacons to become priests — a proposal intended to address a severe shortage in the region, but also one that breaks from centuries of church tradition.

The document by the Vatican gathering — which would require affirmation by Pope Francis to take effect — offers a significant shift in church views and could potentially signal a new strategy to modernize key tenets of Catholic tradition, such as priestly celibacy, as the church faces a worldwide decline in vocations.

The proposal, proponents say, would be narrowly applied to permit only selected men ordained as deacons to become priests. 

...

“The problem of the dearth of priests is a problem for the Catholic Church in the whole world, except in some nations. Why this exception for the Amazon?” said Bishop D. José Luis Azcona of the Amazonian state of Para.

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