One third of the Catholic theology professors in Switzerland, Germany and Austria have called on the Vatican to allow the ordination of women, for priests to be allowed to marry, for congregations to have greater input into the selection of bishops and to not exclude same-sex couples or people who have remarried.
The theologians said they could no longer stay silent in the wake of a wave of sex abuse scandals involving Catholic priests that erupted last year.
Close to 100 priests and lay members of the church were suspected of having abused children and adults in Germany alone, and a German hotline to report sex abuse set up by the church received more than 2500 calls in its first three days.
The 144 professors signed a document outlining the reforms they are calling for. They hope to begin a dialogue with the church.
“We have the responsibility to contribute to a new start,” the document states.
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