Pope Francis’s remarks, made during a conversation with Argentine journalists, regarding the rule of celibacy for Catholic clergy caused a stir. «This is not a dogma; it is a temporary rule, not an eternal one, like a priest’s ordination. It could even be revised,» the pope emphasized.
She added, however, that «she does not believe such a change would increase the number of ordinations,» but she is of the opinion that «sometimes, the rule of celibacy can lead to male dominance, because if a priest does not know how to work with women, he is not mature—something is missing.».
«The Vatican was male-dominated, but that is part of its culture; there is no one specific person to blame,» said Francis.
Finally, he emphasized that «in the future, the way forward on the issue of clerical celibacy could be the adoption of a “double standard,” as is the case in the Eastern Churches,» referring to the celibacy of bishops and the married life of ordinary priests.
