Archbishop Eamon Martin 'very much open' to calls for relaxing Church celibacy rules

Ireland is facing into a spiritual “famine” because it is running out of priests, a Catholic cleric has said.

Update: Catholic Primate of All Ireland Eamon Martin has said he is “very much open” to calls for a softening on the church’s clerical celibacy rules to cope with the declining number of priests.

Speaking after Pope Francis declined to deal with the issue in an eagerly awaited apostolic exhortation, Archbishop of Armagh Martin said the pontiff was not ruling it out but leaving it open for more discussion.