[so_real]

Don't take offense, brother. I don't know what the church adds to marriage when you say it raised the dignity of marriage to a sacrament. I don't feel anything was added that was not already put there by God himself when He instituted marriage. That is my opinion, and I offer your opinion no disrespect in voicing it. No one is required to become a priest, and no one is required to be celibate. But, by human decree over a thousand years after Christ walked the Earth, one is required to become celibate when becoming a priest. I find this contradicts the order of things as established by God. It is odd, if only to me. I do not blame sexual abuse on celibacy, as you've stated. I blame sexual abuse on human weakness and frailty. And one of the greatest human weaknesses we have, is the effort we make to live in contradiction to the lifestyle God intended for us (consciously and subconsciously). Given the fruits of celibacy, I am given to question whether it is indeed in contradiction to that lifestyle. I don't expect you to question this as well; I'm only voicing my feelings on the matter.

[RegulatorCountry]

The requirement for celibacy was the beginning of the nest of homosexuals in the Roman Catholic priesthood. It gave them a socially acceptable reason to remain unmarried, a status in which they had zero interest. Removing the celibacy requirement, which several other churches in communion with Rome do not observe, would at least begin to undo that situation and begin to bring males with a normal, healthy marriage to a woman into the fold.