Pope Francis revealed that the Catholic Church could consider jettisoning its ban on priests marrying, calling the tradition of celibacy for priests “temporary.”

According to the Code of Canon Law of the Catholic Church, “Clerics are obliged to observe perfect and perpetual continence for the sake of the Kingdom of Heaven, and are therefore bound to celibacy. Celibacy is a special gift of God by which sacred ministers can more easily remain close to Christ with an undivided heart, and can dedicate themselves more freely to the service of God and their neighbor.”

“There is no contradiction for a priest to marry,” Francis, 86, told the Argentine publication Infobae. “Celibacy in the western Church is a temporary prescription. I do not know if it is settled in one way or another, but it is temporary in this sense. … It is not eternal like priestly ordination, which is forever whether you like it or not. On the other hand, celibacy is a discipline.”

Asked if celibacy could be reviewed, Francis referenced the Eastern Church, declaring, “Yes, yes, In fact, everyone in the Eastern Church is married, or those who want to. There they make a choice. Before ordination there is the choice to marry or to be celibate,” according to a transcript provided by Infobae.

In 2019, Francis offered a slightly different view of priests’ vow of celibacy, asserting, “Personally, I think that celibacy is a gift to the Church. I would say that I do not agree with allowing optional celibacy, no.” Although Francis said exceptions could be made for married clergy in the Latin rite “when there is a pastoral necessity” in remote locations, he also quoted Pope Paul VI saying: “I prefer to give my life before changing the law of celibacy.”

As early as 1,800 years ago, the Synod of Elvira stated, “It is decided that marriage be altogether prohibited to bishops, priests, and deacons, or to all clerics placed in the ministry, and that they keep away from their wives and not beget children; whoever does this shall be deprived of the honor of the clerical office.”

The Vatican acknowledges, “It is clear from the New Testament that at least the Apostle Peter had been married, and that bishops, presbyters and deacons of the Primitive Church were often family men.”

The First Lateran Council (1123) “made into general law the prohibition of cohabiting with wives,” the Vatican notes.

Oscars host Jimmy Kimmel was bashed by fans of the show who felt his flippant behavior toward a Nobel peace prize winner who had been shot by the Taliban was disrespectful.

Kimmel approached Taliban shooting survivor Malala Yousafzai, whose documentary, “Stranger At The Gate,” was nominated for an Oscar. Malala was only 15 years old when she was shot after being hunted down by the Taliban in Pakistan.

During a break in the show, Kimmel, 55, went to Malala, now 25, and asked her a question from a fan, stating, “She asked, your work on human rights and education for women and children is an inspiration–as the youngest Nobel prize winner in history, do you think Harry Styles spit on Chris Pine?”

Malala, looking uncomfortable, responded, “I only talk about peace.”

Following that interchange an attendee dressed as a real-life “Cocaine Bear” crawled down the aisle and started harassing Malala, prompting Kimmel to say, “Cocaine bear, leave Malala alone!”

Malala was shot in the head in 2012 because she defied the ban on attending school implemented for women by the Pakistani Taliban. The attack was ordered by the leader of the Pakistani Taliban, Maulana Fazlullah.

“I spoke out publicly on behalf of girls and our right to learn. And this made me a target,” Malala has recalled. “In October 2012, on my way home from school, a masked gunman boarded my school bus and asked, ‘Who is Malala?’ He shot me on the left side of my head. I woke up 10 days later in a hospital in Birmingham, England.”

In March 2018, the Trump Administration offered $5 million for information leading to the identification or location of Fazlullah, the head of the outlawed Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan militant group (TTP).  Fazlullah had been linked to the 2010 attempted Times Square car bombing in New York, but his most evil acts had come against children, including the order to massacre 132 of them at a Peshawar school in December 2014. As the Telegraph reported:

Seven Taliban gunmen stormed into the Peshawar’ school, shooting and bombing children, killing 132 of them in their classrooms and the school auditorium. They also burned teachers alive in front of their pupils. The headmistress, Tahira Qazi, was blown up with a hand grenade as she cowered in a bathroom.

Fans bashed Kimmel with comments such as these:

“jimmy kimmel is a national disgrace. this woman deserves better.”

“I hope Jimmy Kimmel pays for making Malala answer that question. She deserves better than that!”

“’Watching the #Oscars from home, I was absolutely horrified with the interaction between @jimmykimmel and @Malala Jimmy, you were incredibly disrespectful.”

“I love @jimmykimmel but his interaction with Malala was one of the worst and most painful things I’ve seen on TV in so many years.”

“why did jimmy kimmel and the cocaine bear just harass malala oh my god leave her alone.”

“Malala looked so uncomfortable when jimmy kimmel was harassing her with his comedy.”

“Malala has a nobel peace prize and they have her dealing with cocaine bear and jimmy kimmel.”

Malala responded to the video of her interaction with Kimmel by simply tweeting,  “Treat people with kindness.”