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A10 WORLD NEWS
Monday 28 october 2019
Pope's Amazon synod proposes married priests, female deacons

VATICAN CITY (AP) — Cath- and even the pope himself
olic bishops from across the of heresy for even consider-
Amazon called Saturday ing flexibility on mandatory
for the ordination of mar- priestly celibacy.
ried men as priests to ad- They vented their outrage
dress the clergy shortage most visibly this week when
in the region, an historic thieves stole three indig-
proposal that would upend enous statues featuring
centuries of Roman Catho- a naked pregnant wom-
lic tradition. an from a Vatican-area
The majority of 180 bish- church and tossed them to
ops from nine Amazonian into the Tiber River.
countries also called for the The statues, which conser-
Vatican to reopen a de- vatives said were pagan
bate on ordaining women idols, were recovered un-
as deacons, saying "it is ur- scathed by Italy's Cara-
gent for the church in the binieri police. They were
Amazon to promote and on display Saturday as the
confer ministries for men synod bishops voted on the
and women in an equita- final document, which was
ble manner." approved with each para-
The proposals were con- graph receiving the re-
tained in a final document quired two-thirds majority.
approved Saturday at the The most controversial
end of a three-week syn- Participants in the Amazon synod attend a Mass celebrated by Pope Francis on the occasion of proposals at the synod
od on the Amazon, which the World Missionary Day, at St. Peter's Basilica at the Vatican, Sunday, Oct. 20, 2019. concerned whether to al-
Pope Francis called in 2017 Associated Press low married men to be or-
to focus attention on sav- dained priests, to address
ing the rainforest and bet- ed. But if Francis accepts pass to the church, not to mendations and prepare a a priest shortage that has
ter ministering to its indig- the proposal, it would mark heirs. document of his own be- meant some of the most
enous people. a first for the Latin Rite Francis told the bishops at fore the end of the year. isolated Amazonian com-
The Catholic Church, which church in a millennium. the end of the voting that Some conservatives and munities go months without
contains nearly two dozen The celibate priesthood has he would indeed reopen traditionalists have warned a proper Mass. The para-
different rites, already al- been a tradition of the Latin the work of a 2016 commis- that any papal opening to graph containing the pro-
lows married priests in East- Rite Catholic Church since sion that studied the issue married priests or women posal was the most con-
ern Rite churches and in the 11th century, imposed of women deacons. And deacons would lead the tested in the voting, but
cases where married Angli- in part for financial reasons he said he planned to take church to ruin. They ac- received the required ma-
can priests have convert- to ensure that priests' assets the bishops' overall recom- cused the synod organizers jority 128-41.q

Mozambique president and ruling party

get overwhelming win

By TOM BOWKER and the MDM party got six to change the constitution
MAPUTO, Mozambique seats. without needing the agree-
(AP) — Mozambique's Pres- Renamo failed to win a ment of the opposition.
ident Filipe Nyusi has been single province in a vote Opposition parties, includ-
re-elected with 73% of the where provincial governors ing the third largest party,
vote and his Frelimo party were directly elected for the MDM, boycotted the
will have 74% of seats in the first time. announcement of the re-
parliament, according to Frelimo will continue to sults. Renamo's Momade
official results announced govern all 10 provinces last week called on Mo-
Sunday following elections which elected provincial zambicans not to respect
on Oct. 15. assemblies. One province, the result.
The main opposition party, Maputo city, did not elect International observers
Renamo, has rejected the a provincial assembly to raised concerns about the
results, alleging the elec- avoid duplicating the mu- credibility of the results. The
tions were marked by fraud nicipal government, which United States Embassy said
and intimidation. is also run by Frelimo. its observers "witnessed a
After drawing enthusiastic The result leaves Frelimo number of irregularities and
crowds during the cam- "stronger than ever," said vulnerabilities during the
paign, Renamo candidate businessman and activist voting and the first stages
Ossufo Momade took 22% Erik Charas, who founded of the tabulation process."
of the vote, according to the independent newspa- Some results in Gaza prov-
Mozambique's electoral per A Verdade. ince, where the elec-
commission, which report- "A third term is possible," tion authorities registered
ed an overall voter turnout despite the constitution 300,000 more voters than
of 51%. limiting the president to a recent census said lived
In the 250-seat National As- two terms, Charas said. A in the province, "strained
sembly, Frelimo won 184 two-thirds majority in parlia- credulity," according to the
seats, Renamo 60 seats ment would allow Frelimo U.S. statement.q