Rorate Caeli

New Francis Synod Called to Approve Married Priesthood

Yesterday, immediately following the canonization of 35 saints (including 33 Martyrs, 30 of whom were murdered by a Protestant-led horde during Holy Mass), Pope Francis announced the convocation of a Special Assembly of the Synod of Bishops for the "Pan-Amazonic" region, that is, the regions of the Amazon area in various South American countries. The gathering will take place in Rome in October 2019.

The assembly was called supposedly to address indigenous natives' concerns. 

But we know better.

Just as the Synods "for the Family", in 2014 and 2015, were called basically to find enough ambiguity and semantic confusion to allow the Pope to reach the decision he had already reached (i.e. Eucharistic communion for those in ongoing adulterous relationships), the upcoming Amazon Synod has just one purpose: married priesthood in the Latin Church.

While very rarely married men have been ordained to the priesthood in the past few decades in the Latin Church, the practice has been limited to what is statistically a tiny number of former Anglican (and some other) ministers who were already married when they joined the Church.

The Amazon Synod has bolder aspirations in mind. The Pope has almost certainly already decided to allow for the ordination of already Catholic married men considered "viri probati" of the community to the Priestly order -- first, in the Amazon, maybe at the same time in other "mission areas". 

And, who knows, as soon as possible, everywhere else? For there is no doubt almost all the traditional areas of the Latin Church, including most of Europe, much of Latin America, vast areas of North America, as well as the traditional missionary regions of Africa and Asia, can all be considered "mission areas", with the same need of priests as the Amazon river basin.

So, there we have it: another momentous shift in the Church is about to happen in a skewed way. At least we are forewarned.