Why necessity must be the father of invention

Against the backdrop of an ageing clergy and falling vocations, three retired English bishops are calling for the prohibition on the ordination of married men to be reconsidered

Last week’s letter to The Tablet from Bishop Crispian Hollis was, to my knowledge, the first time that an English bishop, albeit a retired one, has had the courage to state his views on married clergy in print in such a clear, forthright and supportive manner. Two other retired bishops, Thomas McMahon and John Crowley, write in this week’s Tablet in support of his proposal that the Church in this country should move towards ordaining married men.

They each recognise that the fall in the number of ordinations and the rapidly increasing average age of serving priests can no longer be ignored. If current trends continue, within a decade the number of celibate priests will have almost halved. The consequences are all too evident: parish closures, or the amalgamation of parishes into ever larger units.

The problem is not one for England and Wales alone. In Ireland Bishop Leo O’Reilly of Kilmore has said that he will put forward a proposal for the ordination of married men for discussion at the next meeting of the Irish bishops’ conference in October. And in a conversation with Erwin Kräutler, Bishop of Xingu in the Brazilian rainforest, Pope Francis sympathised with the desperate shortage of priests in Kräutler’s huge diocese. The two men discussed the issue of the ordination of “proven” married men – viri probati – and the Pope was reported to be open-minded about the idea. He discouraged the bishop from acting alone, but explained that a decisive role could be played by the bishops’ conference. He suggested that the bishops of Brazil might act together to bring “concrete suggestions” to Rome.

So given that the possibility of married priests is now being openly discussed, not just by the laity and by theologians but by bishops – Bishop Hollis has suggested that up to 10 serving bishops in England and Wales would be supportive of a married clergy –  how do we move forward?

The first priority is for a commission to be set up by the hierarchy to examine the practical questions that arise should celibacy no longer be demanded as an integral requirement for ordination, so that a cogent case for change might be made to Rome.

The position of married men already exercising ordained ministry as permanent deacons should be considered. Although many are satisfied with their present role, some may wish to re-consider their vocation if there were the possibility of ordination to the priesthood.

The commission should also examine the position of those men who reluctantly left in order to marry, often after several years of committed service to the Church. Many of these men would not wish to return to the priesthood, but a significant number would. Considering their position on a case-by-case basis would be the quickest and easiest way to start the process of introducing married men into the priestly ministry, and would help to meet evident need.

Within each parish, in conjunction with the parish priest, enquiries could also be made of suitable married men – not previously ordained – who might be considered for training for ordination.

There are significant financial issues that the commission would have to consider. It would be unrealistic to expect the average parish community to support financially a married priest, his wife and his family. Non-stipendiary ministry might well become the norm for married priests. This would relieve parishioners – and the diocese – of the burden of supporting a married priest and his family.

If this were the case, it would force a welcome re-examination of the nature of the parish, of what parish life means and how it is exercised, given that the role of the laity within the parish community would have to be reappraised. The role of the wife of a priest would also require considerable attention. In no way should she be seen as just a useful appendage to her husband. Where she is a parishioner, her position and role in the parish would have to be respected and clarified.

Given such a radical change in the life of many parishes, what better opportunity would there be for a discussion of the meaning of Christian mission, of how leadership in the Church should be exercised, and of the roles of bishops, priests and lay people in the Church? Then there is the matter of how married clergy could best be assimilated into our present diocesan, deanery, and parish structures, with celibate clergy ministering alongside fellow priests who are married. And would a priest ordained, say, 15 years ago be free to marry and continue in ministry should he wish to?

Celibate priests have enabled bishops to re-assign clergy quickly and easily to a new parish should the demand arise. With married priests, it would be unrealistic to expect a family to uproot at short notice, with all that it might mean for finding a new home, new schools for the children, and so on. The ­married priest – especially if he were a non-stipendiary and not on the diocesan payroll – would have to be consulted and invited to move parish only if his circumstances permitted. These are matters where the Catholic Church could seek the advice of the Church of England and other Churches with married ministers, as well of course as drawing on Anglican priests with families who now serve as priests in the Catholic Church.

The Catholic model for discernment for vocation to the priesthood would also have to be reconsidered. In the case of mature men with wives and families wishing to train for ordination, we would need to give more weight to the judgement of their parish priests and the esteem in which potential candidates were held by their fellow parishioners.

There are many other practical questions to consider, some of which might also seem daunting. But the longer we ignore the issues, the greater will be the crisis: a rapid fall in the number of celibate priests, and no concrete plans for the ordination of married ones.

Were our bishops to set up a commission of enquiry into the ordination of married men, taking evidence and looking at the practical questions, it would in itself bring bishops, priests and laypeople together in a shared responsibility for the future sacramental life of the Church. It will need realistic deadlines for both an interim and a final report. Its membership should be broad and balanced, and include bishops, priests and laypeople. Proverbs tells us that “without vision the people will perish” and Bishop Hollis is to be congratulated on his vision in opening the discussion for wider consideration.

Chris McDonnell is the secretary of the Movement for Married Clergy

CHANGING THE RULES: The story so far …

* The Latin Rite and the Eastern Rites of the Catholic Church follow different rules on priestly celibacy. In the Latin Rite, married men may be ordained to the deaconate, but not to the priesthood. In recent decades there have been relaxations of this discipline to allow an increasing number of married former Anglican priests to be ordained as Catholic priests. In the Eastern Rites, married men may be ordained both to the deaconate and to the priesthood, but not to the episcopate.

1971 At the General Synod in Rome the bishops discuss the ordination of married men. Belgian Cardinal Suenens points out that Jesus established his Church not upon the beloved disciple John, who was celibate, but upon Peter, who was not. A proposal for ordaining married men  is defeated by a vote of 107 to 87.

1993 At an ordination in Liverpool, Archbishop Derek Worlock says: “It may well be that in the future the number of married men raised to the priesthood will need to be increased, but not to the exclusion of a celibate priesthood …”

1998 Cardinal Basil Hume writes to an Anglican priest considering becoming a Catholic: “It is my view that there is no problem about married priests but in the present pontificate it is unlikely that this cause will make much headway. It would be foolish to agitate now with the possible danger of prejudicing the position later on.”

2013 Archbishop (now Cardinal) Pietro Parolin, answering a question put to him by El Universal newspaper, says priestly celibacy “is … an ecclesiastical tradition … Modifications can be made, but these must always favour unity and God’s will. God speaks to us in many different ways. We need to pay attention to this voice that points us towards causes and solutions to problems, for example the shortage of clergy.”

2014 Cardinal Cormac Murphy-O’Connor, speaking to the BBC, says: “If I were a bishop of a diocese that had a very small number of priests … I would ask permission I think of Rome to ordain suitable married men.”