Eleven priests in Germany have published an open letter calling for an end to the compulsory vow of celibacy in the Catholic priesthood.
Referring to the isolation many priests experience and urging reform, the letter comes from eleven retired priests reflecting on their 50 years in the ministry. The high ranking clerics say that the vow of celibacy should be optional for priests.
"We believe that requiring that every man who becomes a priest to remain celibate is not acceptable," said Franz Decker, one of the priests, to Deutsche Welle.
He added: "We think, every Catholic should be allowed to choose if they would rather be celibate or not, regardless of whether they want to work as priests or not – just like in the Protestant Church or the Orthodox Church, really, every church but the Catholic Church."
The priests argue that celibacy may be quite feasible for those who live in the mutually supportive community of a monastery, but the many who live alone in service of their parishes suffer from intense seclusion.
"What moves us is the experience of loneliness. As elderly people who are unmarried because our office required this from us, we feel it vividly on some days after 50 years on the job... We agreed to this clerical life because of our jobs, but we didn't choose it," they say in the letter.
The letter comes as the clerics mark the golden anniversary of their ordination, having first entered the priesthood in Cologne in 1967. Cologne is considered to be both a bastion of traditional Catholicism and one of Germany's most liberal, socially progressive cities.
The letter notes the problem that "questions of God are no longer relevant to many people in this country" and urges reform on the Church's part to tackle this lack of interest. Suggested reforms include another progressive call suggesting an end to the ban on woman priests.
Previous Popes have opposed women's ordination, though Pope Francis did say last year that he would consider ordaining female deacons. This month a leading Catholic theologian suggested that Francis may allow married Catholic priests.
However, at present the official rules against female ordination and the priestly vow of celibacy still stand.
