Fascinating information. I was not aware of most of this history.
You learn something new every day.
My pastor is Maronite, an Eastern Catholic Church that allows for married priests. His grandfather was a (married) priest. Yet, when he (my pastor) chose the priesthood, he chose celibacy. The Patriarch of the Maronite Church strongly encourages celibacy to the seminarians because it allows for greater flexibility and attention. While the Maronite Church allows for a married priesthood, the Patriarch on several occasions has pointed to the obstacles confronted by the married priests. First and foremost, the primary vow is marriage; the priesthood is their secondary vow. It is more difficult (and costly) to place a married priest than a celibate one since the married priest often has a family. The Maronite Church never assigns married priests outside of Lebanon.