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A Catholic bishop announced plans to seek Vatican approval to ordain married men as priests by 2028. This statement, unusual for the Church, could challenge Pope Leo XIV’s potential openness to alter Church doctrine to counteract a declining clergy population.
The Catholic Church has traditionally upheld a celibate priesthood for centuries. While recent popes have the authority to adjust this practice, such changes have historically faced strong resistance within the Church.
Johan Bonny, who has led the Diocese of Antwerp in Belgium since 2009 and is known for his progressive stance, shared in a public letter to his parishioners on Thursday that he intends to make “every effort” to ordain married men within two years and to identify prospective candidates for priesthood training.
Bishops across the 1.4-billion-member Church pledge obedience to the pope, making it highly atypical for them to publicly consider actions that might oppose established doctrine.
Should Bonny proceed with ordaining married priests without Vatican approval, he risks excommunication—an official expulsion from the Church.
A Vatican spokesperson has not yet responded to inquiries regarding Bonny’s declarations.
Since Pope Leo XIV took leadership last year following Pope Francis’s death, he has not voiced clear opinions on the ordination of married men but has expressed support for celibacy on multiple occasions. Meanwhile, Pope Francis, during his 12-year papacy, implemented widespread reforms and explicitly rejected the idea of married priests.
In his statement, Bonny emphasized that the dwindling number of men willing to remain celibate to become priests—currently nearing zero—necessitates change. He argues that the question now isn’t “whether” but “when” and “who” will ordain married men, with any delay viewed as an excuse.
The issue has persisted for centuries, but recent church summits, including one in 2018, have reignited discussion. The Vatican summit that year explicitly asked Pope Francis to consider ordaining married men, though he decided against it.
Data indicates the number of men studying for priesthood has continuously declined since 2012. Advocates for allowing priests to marry believe it could increase vocations, while opponents maintain celibacy enables priests to focus exclusively on their spiritual duties.
Bonny highlighted that his diocese depends on overseas Catholic priests from Eastern Europe and the Middle East, many of whom are married. In Eastern-rite Catholic Churches, which are minority communities, married men can become priests, a practice more common in Middle Eastern and Eastern European nations.
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