The FACT is, there are not many men called to celibacy. Some have shoe-horned themselves into the priesthood because they wanted to please their mothers, or they had sexual problems and wanted to suborn them, or they thought they could secure their salvation by being a priest, no matter what their other inclinations were.
I'm not saying that a married priesthood would eliminate problems. No, it would create new ones.
But we cannot have criminals in the priesthood, and bishops who cover for them. If you, like me, believe we ought to weed homosexuals out of seminaries, the only real way to do that is to recruit men from the ranks of the truly heterosexual.
It is not the lack of sex which is the problem, it is the absence of a deep relationship with God which causes vows to be broken.
A deep relationship with a woman is what I was missing when I was in the seminary. The sex, as you say, was secondary.
Many priests are simply lonely for the love of a woman. You can't substitute dogs, or other men, or even God.
How many of us who have been married for any length of time have not been attracted to someone else?
Well, I can tell you, that in 26 years of marriage, I have never been seriously tempted by another woman because I have NEVER allowed myself to be put into a situation where I would be alone with somebody else. I know what my limitations are.
I disagree with you, but I appreciate your thoughtful post.
A deep relationship with a woman is what I was missing when I was in the seminary. The sex, as you say, was secondary.
Many priests are simply lonely for the love of a woman. You can't substitute dogs, or other men, or even God."
Thank you for such a nice response.
If you were missing a deep relationship with a woman, it seems that you weren't called to celibacy.
However, if God is calling a person to celibacy, He absolutely can substitute for any need which that person has.
There have been many, fulfilled, celibate people in the history of our Church. And they have claimed to be happy. I also know several priests who are deeply spiritual and happily celibate.