opening door to review of 1,000-year-old celibacy rules

The Catholic Church is open to reviewing its thousand-year-old practice of celibacy, Pope Francis has suggested.

He said the ban was only 'temporary' and there was also 'no contradiction' for a priest to marry.

Celibacy was made a requirement by the Catholic Church in the 11th-century for financial reasons, as clergy without children were more likely to leave their wealth to the church.