[Gay State Conservative]

If some Roman Catholic priests are allowed to be married (which is,in fact,the case) then it's hard for me to see why all of them can't.Either Christ wants *all* of His vicars to be allowed to marry or none of them.Married priests would go a long way toward solving two of the Church's biggest problems (at least here)...1) a growing shortage of priests...2) the fact that such a noticeable portion of current priests are of an immoral "orientation".Although I can certainly see why Christ might want His vicars to be celibate for periods of time...just as I can see why He would want *me* to abstain from eating meat on Fridays (for example)...it's very difficult for me to see why He'd want his vicars to be celibate for THEIR ENTIRE LIVES.

I'm just sayin'.....

[A.A. Cunningham]

Married priests would go a long way toward solving two of the Church's biggest problems (at least here)...1) a growing shortage of priests...2) the fact that such a noticeable portion of current priests are of an immoral "orientation".

A specious at best argument. If marriage was the panacea you think it would be then there would be no shortage of Priests in the 21 Churches in the Eastern Rites that ordain, as a norm, married men. That isn't the case. Also, explain the behavior of all of these baptists since you can't use the celibacy made them do it crutch.

it's very difficult for me to see why He'd want his(sic) vicars to be celibate for THEIR ENTIRE LIVES.

Then you need to brush up on your knowledge of Scripture to alleviate that difficulty.

[kearnyirish2]

The persecution of the Russian Orthodox Church under Stalin provides great insight into celibacy; the Orthodox clergy could be coerced under threat to their families, while Latin-Rite Catholic priests could go to their deaths in Nazi and Bolshevik concentration camps/gulags without similar concerns (and they did). The upper echelons of the Eastern Rite Churches are celibate priests; the married priests do not advance.

Also, as others are pointing out, there is no shortage of married scout leaders, teachers, ministers and rabbis who commit the same crimes.

[Eagles6]

Not being able to marry a woman does not change a heterosexual man into a homosexual. Radical homosexuals have been infiltrating all Judeo Christian religious organizations, government schools, Boy and Girl Scouts, trade unions, government and so forth at least since the 60s

Look what just happened to the BSA. They barred homos from the group after decades of molestation and now are abandoning the safety of children to keep the donation train running.

[Ransomed]

Seems to me all the liberal Catholics would agree that the discipline of celibacy isn’t valuable and should be ended. I mean try to find one liberal wackadoo Catholic who digs things like abortion, ‘gay marriage’ and homo-clergy in relationships who also thinks the discipline of celibacy is valuable and should be continued.

“the fact that such a noticeable portion of current priests are of an immoral “orientation”.

Compared to when, the 60s 70’s and 80’s? The abuse peaked in the late 70s-early 80’s and went down just as steeply. My guess is that gay men quit becoming priests as the broader culture accepted them. So why join a group that’s never going to change its position on acting on homosexual desires?

Freegards

[vladimir998]

Those priests who are married were ALL married BEFORE being ordained. The Church has NO priests who married AFTER ordination. Thus, those who are priests already can’t marry now because they took a vow not to.

[Salvation]

Non-Catholic Clergy Abuse & Crimes