According to the Vatican head, in an interview with the Argentinian news website Infobae, Pope Francis can envision the possibility of eliminating the celibacy requirement for priests.

Pope Francis pointed out that in the Eastern Catholic Church, priests can marry, so allowing priests to marry would not be contradictory. The pope has been repeatedly requested to modify or eliminate the celibacy requirement for priests by various groups for many years.

The German Synodal Assembly for the Reform of the Catholic Church recently passed a resolution on Friday requesting an exploration into the possibility of lifting celibacy requirements.

The pope will be requested to examine the issue and assess the future of compulsory celibacy.

In response to a question from Infobae regarding a potential reconsideration of celibacy, Pope Francis stated that it is indeed possible.

Additionally, he commented that celibacy is not a permanent rule in the Western Church, but rather a temporary one, unlike priestly ordination.

According to Francis, celibacy is a practice that can be modified because it is a discipline.

Nonetheless, he expressed skepticism about whether allowing priests to marry would result in more men entering the priesthood.

In mid-February, the pope declared his intention to maintain the celibacy requirement, as per media reports. He believes that celibacy can be lived through the support of genuine friendships between priests.