Canberra, Australia - AUSTRALIA'S biggest organisation of priests has called for an end to compulsory celibacy and consideration of the ordination of women in an attempt to address the worldwide clergy shortage.
Ahead of the World Synod of Bishops - the XI Ordinary General Assembly - the National Council of Priests of Australia said the number of ordained priests needed to be dramatically increased.
"We would like to see a goal set across the world that the church aims to have an ordained priest for every 50 Catholic families or 200 people," the council said.
Over the past 25 years, the ratio of priests to parishioners has fallen from one priest for every 1800 Catholics to one priest for every 2600.
More than 250 bishops from around the world, including Sydney's Archbishop Cardinal George Pell, have gathered in Rome for the three-week Synod, the first of Pope Benedict XVI's reign.
The Synod of Bishops was established in 1965 by pope Paul VI following the Second Vatican Council and offers advice on the governance of the church to the Holy Father.
The National Council of Priests, which represents about half of all Australian Catholic clergy, suggested six strategies to arrest the decline in numbers of priests.
"We ask the church to seriously consider extending the invitation to priesthood to married men.
"We would welcome serious consideration of the reinstatement as priests-in-ministry of priests who have resigned from the priesthood in order to marry," the council said.
"Should not consideration also be given to allowing already ordained priests who seek to marry permission to do so and continue in ministry?
"Finally, there is abundant material across the world which explore the history and question why all Catholic priests have to be male. Is this really by Divine direction?
"Is it fair and just that open and honest debate about the history and theology of women in priesthood is restricted so heavily?"