The issue of priestly celibacy is one of the thorniest issues facing Pope Francis, according to the Vatican's new Secretary of State, Archbishop Pietro Parolin.
Speaking over the weekend, the archbishop also said that a more democratic approach is called for within the Church and that he plans to overhaul the way the Holy See operates internationally.
Warning that celibacy could not be dismissed as irrelevant in the modern world, Archbishop Parolin said that celibacy was only a tradition and not a dogma, but added that a way must be found to unify the Church on the matter.
"It is a great challenge for the Pope because he oversees the entire Church and these decisions must be taken in a way that unites the Church rather than dividing it," the archbishop told the Venezuelan newspaper El Universal. "It is not just about what one wants but about being faithful to what God wants for his Church."
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