Like you, I too am a Catholic - a Latin Rite (Roman) Catholic, but I practice my faith in a Maronite (Eastern Rite) Catholic Church. The Maronite Church has a Patriarch who also happens to be a Cardinal. Like most of the Eastern Catholic Church, the Maronite Church has married priests. In fact, my pastor's great grandfather was a married priest and served as the inspiration for his vocation. The only difference is that my pastor also chose the celibate life. He also chose to be bi-ritual (Maronite and Latin Rite). He was born in Lebanon and has his major degree in the ancient languages (Latin, Hebrew, Koine Greek and Aramaic). He is fluent in 8 languages and has traveled to South America and Europe.
My reason for giving you some background here is to demonstrate that he has experienced both ends of the spectrum. In 2005, the Holy Father convened a General Synod of Fathers at the Vatican. As often happens, the topic of priestly celibacy arose. It was the Patriarch of the Maronite Church who addresed the issue.
Mar Nasrallah Peter Cardinal Sfeir
Vatican City, Oct. 07, 2005 (CNA) - The Cardinal defended the practice of the celibate priesthood and discussed the beauty of the tradition, calling it the "most precious jewel in the treasury of the Catholic Church."
While pointing out that "the Maronite Church admits married priests" and that "half of our diocesan priests are married", the Cardinal Patriarch said that "it must be recognized that if admitting married men resolves one problem, it creates others just as serious."
"A married priest", he said, "has the duty to look after his wife and family, ensuring his children receive a good education and overseeing their entry into society. ... Another difficulty facing a married priest arises if he does not enjoy a good relationship with his parishioners; his bishop cannot transfer him because of the difficulty of transferring his whole family.
He noted that "married priests have perpetuated the faith among people whose difficult lives they shared, and without them this faith would no longer exist."
"On the other hand," he said, "celibacy is the most precious jewel in the treasury of the Catholic Church,"
Lamenting a culture which is all but outright opposed to purity, the Cardinal asked: "How can [celibacy] be conserved in an atmosphere laden with eroticism? Newspapers, Internet, billboards, shows, everything appears shameless and constantly offends the virtue of chastity."
Suggesting that there are no easy solutions to the problem of priest shortages in the Church--an oft brought up point during the Synod--he noted that, "Of course a priest, once ordained, can no longer get married. Sending priests to countries where they are lacking, taking them from a country that has many, is not the ideal solution if one bears in mind the question of tradition, customs and mentality. The problem remains."
The Patriarch's observations have been borne out by several former protestant ministers who converted to the Catholic Church and were accepted into the Catholic priesthood.
I wouldn’t want to see female priests if it meant they would be bringing modern Feminism into their sermons and remainder of their mission.
There will never be women priests in the Catholic Church. Jesus did not ordain any women. He selected all of his apostles, and none were women. No one, not even the pope, has the authority to change Christ's design of the priesthood. You can read more here.