[cloudmountain]

I used to hear comments from the wives married to vicars and other men of the cloth.
Those women said that it would be better if priests and vicars never married because it was impossible for any one man to pay proper attention to his wife and family AND his church members. Those good men are spread just too thin.

[BlatherNaut]

Those women said that it would be better if priests and vicars never married because it was impossible for any one man to pay proper attention to his wife and family AND his church members.

Indeed. The priest is the spiritual father of his entire parish. Which of his two families would take precedence if, for instance, his wife or one of his kids had a medical emergency just as Mass was scheduled to begin, or as he was being summoned for last rites, or was scheduled to perform a wedding ceremony? Which of his families would be subordinated to the other? How is it spiritually and physically possible to live two separate vocations simultaneously (let alone unreservedly, as we are called to do by God)?

[SuziQ]

Those women said that it would be better if priests and vicars never married because it was impossible for any one man to pay proper attention to his wife and family AND his church members. Those good men are spread just too thin.

Pastors of some larger Protestant churches may be able to do it, because there are so many involved in the administration of the church. Parish priests don't have that kind of support staff, because parishes simply can't afford it. They would never have the mental or physical stamina to care for a large parish family in addition to one of their own.