Scottish Catholic Observer

Catholic peers and MPs have written to Pope Francis asking the new Holy Father to consider permitting bishops in the UK to ordain married men to the priesthood.

The group of 21 Parliamentarians, led by Rob Flello MP and Lord David Alton of Liverpool (above), state that it is anomalous that married Anglican priests can be received into the Catholic Church and ordained as Catholic priests but married Catholic men cannot do the same.

“Your two predecessors, Pope John Paul II and Pope Benedict, guided we are sure by the Holy Spirit, generously permitted the ordination of married Anglican clergy as Catholic priests,” the letter to Pope Francis states. “These men and their families have proved to be a great blessing to our parishes.

“Based on that very positive experience we would request that, in the same spirit, you permit the ordination of married Catholic men to the priesthood in Great Britain.

“In recent years we have been saddened by the loss of far too many good priests. If the celibacy rule were relaxed, there would be many others who would seek ordination, bringing great gifts to the priesthood.

“If celibacy were retained for bishops, as in the Eastern rites, this would signal the continuing high regard we have for those who are able to live a genuinely celibate life.”

The Parliamentarians’ letter also congratulates Pope Francis on his election as Holy Father and asks that he ‘keep our country and its people’ in his prayers.

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