[JosephW]

Married priests were at the beginning of the church. Peter had a mother-in-law (possibly a widower, but never made clear).

The problem was corruption. A bishop would make their son a deacon for their 1st birthday. A priest for their second, and finally a bishop for the next. The bishop holds the property of the church. So the corruption became inherent over time.

The east and west handled things slightly differently.
In the east the Episcopate (Bishops) could not be married and this effectively ended the problem. In the west (RC) they decided that none of the ordained clergy could be married. This also solved the problem.

When we look at 2nd Timothy we see that neither solution is ideal. A married clergy is definitely mentioned (to include Bishops). To say an unmarried clergy (or just episcopate) was the way always intended flys in the face of this epistle).

I believe the RC needs to look at the Eastern Churches (including those within the Catholic Church, not just Orthodox). The clergy is allowed to be married prior to ordination. While this has not always been perfect it seems to work adequately well.

I do however share the fear of many Catholics that this is just a smoke screen. A way to introduce homosexual marriage with the clergy. Those making the proposals are the chief enemies of traditional Catholics are probably should not be trusted. A careful approach should be followed.

Please remember that the unmarried clergy is a tradition with a small ‘t’. This is not dogma, no matter how many people try to pass it off that way.

[circlecity]

"Married priests were at the beginning of the church. Peter had a mother-in-law (possibly a widower, but never made clear)."

According to the first church historian (after Luke) Eusebius, Peter's wife was martyred along with him in Rome. She went first, days or maybe hours before Peter.

[kearnyirish2]

The fact that the Apostles could die as martyrs is critical; those with families had abandoned them, and since then I don’t see how the Church provides for those left behind.

This martyrdom continues today; in Spain thousands of priests were killed in the Civil War, and many would have been tempted to renounce their faith if they had dependents. The Spanish Church remained true, while the Orthodox Churches of the East, with some martyrs as well, were basically compromised by the communists.