Pope gives green light to priests to lift ban on sexual relations

The spiritual leader of the Catholic Church, Pope Francis, turned heads with his statement that the 1,000-year ban on “sexual relations” for priests was “temporary.”

The Argentine pope, who provoked a reaction from conservatives in the Church with his dovish remarks during his 10-year papacy, spoke out about the centuries-old ban on “sexual relations” in the Catholic Church.

The 86-year-old pope, who has recently been the subject of rumors that he will resign due to health problems, said the ban on marriage and sexual relations for Catholic priests could be lifted in the future. Stating that it is not against religion for a priest to marry, the Pope said in an interview with the Argentine press: “This is not an eternal priestly order, but it remains a discipline not to marry for religious reasons.”

In 2019, the Pope opposed calls to allow priests to marry.

The Catholic Church prohibited priests from marrying for financial reasons in the 11th century. The church had taken steps in this direction so that celibate priests would donate their assets to religious institutions since they could not have children.

Calls for the removal of the 1000 year ban on the Church have increased lately.