The new Archbishop of Westminster believes the tradition of a celibate priesthood could be changed to allow married men to join the Catholic Church, it was reported yesterday. Archbishop Cormac Murphy-O'Connor was installed as successor to the late Cardinal Basil Hume in March, as leader of four million Catholics in England and Wales.
Largely regarded as a conservative choice for the post, the archbishop has made clear in an interview with Britain's Guardian newspaper that he believes in church reform. "Disciplines can change. When a priest accepts celibacy when he is ordained, that rule should be kept," said the archbishop. "But is marriage incompatible with priesthood? The answer is obviously no. I would not rule it out. The matter will come up again."