A Coptic bishop has called for Eastern Catholic Churches to be allowed to ordain married priests outside of their historic territories while a Djibouti bishop has proposed a “priest bank” to combat the shortage of clergy in certain areas.“Since the 1930s there has been a ban on the ordination of and the practice of the ministry by married priests outside the territories of the Patriarchy and the ‘Historically Eastern regions,’ Egyptian Coptic Archbishop Antonios Aziz Mina told the Mid East Synod.
“I think, in line with whatever the Holy Father decides, that the time has come to take this step in favor of the pastoral care of the Eastern faithful throughout the diaspora,” he said.
Historically, the Vatican has been reluctant to countenance the ordination of married priests for communities of Eastern faithful outside their home regions.
In another proposal, Bishop Giorgio Bertin of Djibouti proposed the creation of a bank of priests ready to give three months to a year in service to a community in the Middle East or some other exceptionally priest-starved region of the world.
“I propose the creation of a bank of available priests,” Bertin said. “That is to say, that from all the Churches and religious congregations a number of priests should make themselves available for a set time: 3 months, 6 months, 9 months.”
“This could be a development and an adaptation to modern scenarios of the ‘Fidei donum’ and could also provide a shot in the arm both to the churches of the Middle East and the other churches to live and develop their missionary dimension,” he said.
“We could even call [it] ‘Priests without frontiers,’” he said, “because they are ready to be sent and welcomed in a very short period of time.”
SIC: CTH/ASIA