I wonder why Catholic University even bothered with this study since the Vatican recently reaffirmed its requirement of mandatory clerical celibacy, which means that celibacy will not be made “optional” any time in the foreseeable future. The study is nothing but useless speculation and wishful thinking.
I guess we’ve all learned not to trust survey findings such as these without being able to review the study itself.
It seems to me that a man torn between being a Roman Catholic priest or having a wife and family would instead find a home in one of the Byzantine or Eastern Rite Catholic Churches in union with Rome where he could marry prior to ordination.