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Besides availability, in what ways?

You can't just say 'besides availability'. By 'availability,' I mean total commitment. A celibate priest can give his entire life to serving Christ's Church in the way no married minister ever could. A married minister always has divided loyalties - between the Church and his family. A celibate priest, on the other hand, has made a very real and very public lifetime commitment to Jesus Christ and his Church. He has forsaken mother, father, brothers and the potential of a wife and children all for the sake of Christ and the honor of serving His flock. His vows are powerful symbols of his faith in Jesus Christ and his love for the Church.

Most men today are too weak (myself included) to take such a strong, counter-cultural stand, and we are blessed to have as many righteous men in the priesthood as we do. To my mind, there is no one in the world more worthy of honor and respect than a priest who is faithful to his vows in our age of hedonism. Married priests is exactly the kind of half-assed, short-term solution that one would expect from our all-too-pampered culture. We've got to have it all...

roubles that has surfaced

Make that have surfaced. Verb agreement. I know better. Catholics are pretty good grammarians for the most part. Good educations.

Married priests is exactly the kind of half-assed, short-term solution that one would expect from our all-too-pampered culture.

First, I take it that you assume that I speak of an entirely married priesthood. I do not. Second, your statement assumes that every priest lives out his vows in total commitment. Most don't. I know numerous priests in our diocese. Most are very good priests, some exceptional. But few live out the standard that you have expressed. In fact, I know many that see there priesthood more like a job rather than a vocation. Third, you just slapped in the face every hard working married priest and deacon that is out there living their life totally dedicated to God and the apostolate with your half-assed statement. Pardon my french.

Do you take me for a liberal? I am far from it. And I'm not a dissident; just debating a point of view. But my point of view already exists; in the eastern rite and amongst the few converts who were given dispensation by the Vatican. My point is, if celibacy is presented and taught properly, like you just described, young or old unmarried men will still take the vows. But currently in the latin rite, there is absolutly no room for married men in the priesthood. And those men who feel a drawing to the priesthood who could be of tremendous value to the people of God, simply cannot. The grace cannot be imparted on them simply because they are married. And yet this is not a universal discipline. I don't see it changing soon, and maybe never. That is the call of the bishops in communion with the pope. So be it. I accept whatever the Holy Father in communion with the bishops state; that's why I accept the current discipline.

I mean total commitment

BTW, I have a total commitment to the Lord in my marriage and in the apostolate. And I pray, when orders is conferred on me in October, that the sacramental grace will make my work and ministry that much more efficacious.