Please allow married priests back into active ordained ministry

Dear Pope Francis:

In this year of mercy, we ask mercy of the Church for the suffering within its own ranks. On the grassroots level, we meet priests who live in grief and sometimes in poverty. We welcome your acknowledging in Amoris Laetitia that “we could draw from the experience of the broad oriental tradition of a married clergy.”

Abbot Michael of the Order of Franciscans Ecumenical (OFE) brought the following to the attention of CCRI

The mission of the Order of Franciscans Ecumenical is to minister to married Roman Catholic priests by offering them a welcoming home, support, acceptance, affirmation of their marriages, and validation of their lives and ministries. It also supports efforts to restore married priesthood to the Roman Catholic Church. Canon Laws 212 §2 and §3 tell us that we have the duty to express our views about the Church’s “matters which pertain to the good of the Church and to make their opinion known to the rest of the Christian faithful.” Men who have left the priesthood to marry are made to feel that they failed merely because they wanted the fulfillment of wives and families of their own. Sadly, they have become disheartened by the Church’s abandonment. Especially during this extraordinary Jubilee Year of Mercy, we ask that they be reinstated as official ministerial Catholic priests. Let us urge Pope Francis, earnestly and respectfully to reinstate married Roman Catholic priest at this time.

If you wish, we can send you a list of all the reform-minded Catholic organizations from North and South America, from Europe, Africa and Asia and countless Catholic individuals who support this petition.

All of us have seen how many good priests have been dismissed because they chose to love a woman and have a family. Most of them have to find other work to support their families. Those who could not find work often have been pushed into poverty and suffered emotionally because of the treatment they have received from the Church.

Countless people in the pews have let it be known that they want a priest – married or celibate, it matters little – who will be compassionate about their life issues. Many would welcome a move of the Church to allow married priests back into active priesthood. A first and significant step would be that you would encourage bishops to help small communities, in particular, by allowing a married priest to serve them. If the Church is willing to welcome married Episcopal priests into our Church, surely you should be open to accepting former and now married Roman Catholic priests.

Looking to the Holy Spirit as our guide,

For the Strategy Team
On behalf of Catholic Church Reform International

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