Pope Francis has not followed a recommendation from bishops on the controversial easing of celibacy. In his papal letter to the Amazon Synod, he avoids a clear positioning. He rejected the consecration of women.
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On the celibacy a conflict between conservatives and modernizers flared up in the Catholic Church. Because of the lack of priests in remote areas of the Amazon region, bishops, religious representatives and experts attended Amazon Synod in October in one final document called to open the priesthood to married men. In the remote Amazon region, Holy Mass can sometimes only be celebrated once a year because there are no priests.
The problems of the church in South America are also named by Francis in his letter “Querida Amazonia” (Beloved Amazonia): “The church pastoral is not very present in Amazonia”. This is “partly due to the immense territorial expansion with many hard-to-reach places”, partly “due to the great cultural diversity, the serious social problems and the decision of some peoples to isolate themselves”. This requires an “appropriate courageous response from the Church”.
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Priests have an “exclusive identity”
What can this answer look like in the sign of a lack of priests? Here Francis remains rather cloudy: In the document now published, the Pope makes no reference to the debate on celibacy and does not even mention the term in the 51 pages. Priests have an “exclusive identity” and should keep it.
In order to ensure priestly service in remote areas, another way must be found: Francis advocates involving lay people more. Laypeople could “preach the word, teach, organize their communities, celebrate some sacraments” – but they cannot celebrate the Eucharist and confess. That is reserved only for the priest.
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The Pope gives a clear rejection of a possible consecration of women. He praises “the strength and the gift of women”, without whose sometimes decades of use, some communities in South America would not have thought. Women who “baptized, held catecheses, taught people how to pray and had a missionary role” were extremely important for the local church.
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But: The calls for priestesses are the wrong way. One should not reduce the understanding of the church to functional structures ”:“ Such a reductionism would lead us to believe that women would only be granted church status and greater participation if they were admitted to holy orders. “The Pope continues to write:” Women make their contribution to the Church in their own way and by passing on the strength and tenderness of Mother Mary “.
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Francis’ writing will also have an impact on the Synodal Way in Germany. Because the reform process should also be about celibacy and the role of women. In this country too, many believers are hoping for the Church to open up on these points. The chairman of the German Bishops’ Conference, Cardinal Reinhard Marx, had only announced his resignation on Tuesday. Read more here. Marx is seen as a driver of reform.
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