Also, I will remember you in particular in my prayers today.
Thank you. Your prayers are much appreciated, and much needed.
I disagree with your assessment that celibacy has little support on the "inside." After all, we've just seen the Vatican sign a deal with the more traditionalist wing of the Anglican Church that would allow them to "come home to Rome" with their married clergy very much in tow. This in very much in keeping with some of the other things the Vatican has done in the past 20 years or so, including ordaining married Protestant ministers, signing an historic agreement of full communion with the Armenian Gregorian Church with its married clergy, the celebration of the Eastern Rite wing of the Church, moving closer to Orthdoxy, greater reliance on married deacons, and so forth.
Nah, it's being phased out, I think rather clearly. The Catholic Church is a huge institution that can change a deeply ingrained rule like celibacy for parish priests only slowly. It's like trying to turn a huge ship that's headed in one direction. Lots of inertia. It's bound to be slow. But I think that, rather clearly, the decision has been made to let celibacy for parish priests die the death of a thousand cuts.
In particular, I'd say that the role of married deacons is set to grow and grow (even as their formation standards are ever tightened). I predict that the situation will look quite different in even 25 years, with celibate parish priests increasingly atrophied, and the married portion of the ordinary clergy running the show.