[Cronos]

With transubstantiation, priests, nuns, forced non marriage and many other strange rites and ceremonys..

You consider the idea of having priests as a "strange rite"? No matter about priests, "in the order of Melchizedek" etc? For celibacy, did you know that the Catholic Church allows married priests in many of the Eastern rite Catholic Churchs like the Maronite Church? Did you even read why it was put in place? It makes sound sense, if you have a priest who has a wife and children, he may neglect, or even worse, abuse, his position -- and this has been far more apparent in the various groups like the tele-evangelists. Does it completely prevent possible corruption among the priesthood? No. But it was found to make sense at one point in history and it still does make sense to my mind.

You want to become a Catholic priest and be married? Well, become a Maronite Catholic priest. Learn and preach in Aramaic.

[hosepipe]

[.. You consider the idea of having priests as a "strange rite"? ..]

YES.. only one of many many strange cultic rites..
I do understand it of course.. After Constantine forced all Roman pagans to become christians, then priests were needed to comtrol the pagans.. The pagans always had priests..

[MarkBsnr]

Let us not forget that the idea of celibacy is a discipline, not a doctrine, as well.

There are married Latin priests, just not that many of them.