Pope Francis wants married men in Brazil to become Priests

In a move likely to land him in hot water with the conservative Catholic Church, Pope Francis has reportedly requested that married men in Brazil be allowed to become priests.

The request comes after the Pope was asked by the President of the Episcopal Commission for the Amazon, Cardinal Cludio Hummes, to consider the move as there is a shortage of ordained ministers in remote communities in the Amazon.

Before the new rule can be passed, it must be discussed by bishops in Brazil who will then vote on the issue.

In recent years remote regions in Brazil have seen a decline in Catholicism as Evangelicalism has become more popular.

For decades a proposal called the viri probati has allowed men of proven faith to carry out specific duties.

However the proposal has come under scrutiny under Pope Francis who controversially raised the prospect of lifting the celibacy rule in March.

He told the German weekly, Die Zeit: "We must consider if viri probati is a possibility. Then we must determine what tasks they can perform, for example, in remote communities."

As part of a pilot project, priests in the eastern rite Catholic Church are already allowed to be married.

If the project is successful, it has been suggested that it could be extended to other parts of the world, including Africa.

Conservatives in the Catholic Church are already furious that divorced people who re marry are able to receive communion if their local priests allow it, it is anticipated that they will not approve of the Pope’s most recent move.