A SCOTTISH MP and other Westminster parliamentarians have called on the new pope to consider allowing married men to become priests.
Thomas Docherty, the Labour MP for Dunfermline and West Fife, described the ban on married men becoming priests as "an arcane rule from the Dark Ages".
He is one of a group of 21 Catholic parliamentarians from across the political spectrum that has written to the pontiff.
The letter follows remarks made by Cardinal Keith O'Brien, who suggested the time had come for the Church to allow serving priests to marry.
Before his fall from grace over claims of inappropriate sexual behaviour, the former head of the Catholic Church in Scotland said many priests struggled to cope with celibacy and said it may be time to allow them to marry and have children.
The election of the new pope is seen by many as an opportunity to debate the role of priests in the 21st century and argue for changes to reflect modern life.
In their letter to Pope Francis, the parliamentarians say: "Your two predecessors, Pope John Paul II and Pope Benedict, guided we are sure by the Holy Spirit, generously permitted the ordination of married Anglican clergy as Roman Catholic priests.
"These men and their families have proved to be a great blessing to our parishes. Based on that very positive experience, we would request that, in the same spirit, you permit the ordination of married Catholic men to the priesthood in Great Britain."
The signatories include former Attorney General Baroness Scotland, ex-Liberal Democrat MP David Alton, who is now a peer, along with MPs Stephen Pound and Bill Cash.
They write that in recent years they have been "saddened by the loss of far too many good priests", noting that, if the celibacy rule were relaxed, "there would be many others who would seek ordination, bringing great gifts to the priesthood".
They specifically do not echo Cardinal O'Brien's call for serving priests to be allowed to marry and make clear that celibacy should be retained for bishops to signal the "continuing high regard we have for those who are able to live a genuinely celibate life".
Mr Docherty said: "What we are talking about is older men, whose children have grown up or who might not have children, and who want to put something more into the Church.
We have a shortage of priests at the moment and I just don't think the current situation stacks up for the modern Church."
Last night, a spokesman for the Catholic Church in Scotland said: "Priests share in the priesthood of Jesus Christ who was, of course, celibate. It is correct that, in some circumstances, men who are married can become priests but the norm for centuries has been for men to dedicate themselves fully to the vocation of the priesthood.
"At present in our society, we are much in need of the example of self-control that the priesthood, faithfully lived, can give to all people. People can control their sexuality and our society suffers considerably when it loses sight of that fact."
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