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And yet, Catholics seem to shut their minds to the possibility of opening the doors of married priests. Why???

Priestly celibacy is based on Scripture ....

"His disciples say unto him, If the case of the man be so with [his] wife, it is not good to marry. But he said unto them, All [men] cannot receive this saying, save [they] to whom it is given. For there are some eunuchs, which were so born from [their] mother's womb: and there are some eunuchs, which were made eunuchs of men: and there be eunuchs, which have made themselves eunuchs for the kingdom of heaven's sake. He that is able to receive [it], let him receive [it]." - Matthew 19:10-12

What the Catechism of the Catholic Church says on Celibacy of the Clergy.

1579. "All the ordained ministers of the Latin Church, with the exception of permanent deacons, are normally chosen from among men of faith who live a celibate life and who intend to remain celibate 'for the sake of the kingdom of heaven.' [Mt 19:12 .] Called to consecrate themselves with undivided heart to the Lord and to 'the affairs of the Lord,' [1 Cor 7:32 .] they give themselves entirely to God and to men. celibacy is a sign of this new life to the service of which the Church's minister is consecrated; accepted with a joyous heart celibacy radiantly proclaims the Reign of God. [Cf. PO 16.]"

1580. "In the Eastern Churches a different discipline has been in force for many centuries: while bishops are chosen solely from among celibates, married men can be ordained as deacons and priests. This practice has long been considered legitimate; these priests exercise a fruitful ministry within their communities. [Cf. PO 16.] Moreover, priestly celibacy is held in great honor in the Eastern Churches and many priests have freely chosen it for the sake of the Kingdom of God. In the East as in the West a man who has already received the sacrament of Holy Orders can no longer marry."

1599. "In the Latin Church the sacrament of Holy Orders for the presbyterate is normally conferred only on candidates who are ready to embrace celibacy freely and who publicly manifest their intention of staying celibate for the love of God's kingdom and the service of men."

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As a cradle catholic, I can assure you that the demands placed on the catholic priest far outweigh those of the protestant minister.

Well, congrats, but the Catholic Church is literally TEEMING with gay priests.

There are gay priests who must also adhere to the vow of celibacy. "Teeming" is a big stretch of the imagination. There was an influx during the 60s and 70s but the seminaries have now been visited and cleaned up.

It severely limits the pool of Catholic men who would otherwise be interested in the priesthood.

This is a great misperception of the celibate priesthood. Those who enter choose this lifestyle "for the good of the kingdom". It is a call to holiness which they spend years discerning before actually making the commitment.

My pastor is an Eastern Rite priest. As noted above, he could have married and served as a priest. Like many others, he made the personal choice to give his all to our Lord. Good thing too, because his wife, if he had one, would rarely see him.

And yet, Catholics seem to shut their minds to the possibility of opening the doors of married priests.

Again ... not true. There are many catholics who believe like you and think that opening the priesthood to married men would resolve all the problems. This idea also blossomed during the 60s and 70s, growing in momentum as the pedophile crisis peaked. If anything, such a move would create more havoc.

The following thread has been running this week in the Religion Forum. In England, many married Anglican clergy are taking advantage of a dispensation offered by the Catholic Church to clergy who convert. Take a moment and read about their experiences. It may help you better understand the life of a catholic priest.

Married Priests? The English Experience