[LadyDoc]

the "160" priests poll was statistically nonsense.

There are 400+ priests in Milwaukee.

But some of the "160" were 1) retired (so not in the 400 priests) or 2) "order" priests, some of whom didn't even work in Milwaukee. So the numbers are artificially inflated...

As for "optional", this too has a problem.

You see, traditionally priest and deacons cannot marry, period...

Married men CAN become deacons, and can become priests in the Eastern Catholic churches, but unmarried men who become priests and deacons cannot marry, and widowers cannot remarry if they are ordained.

This is also true for the Orthodox clergy.

Ironically, some of these "petitioners" are "order" priests, who have taken vows of chastity. They can bitch all they want to about the need to be married, but their vows of poverty/chastity/obedience means that marriage would mean breaking these voluntary solemn vows also...

[RobbyS]

Add to this the practical difficult now faced by the Greek Church. Men who want to be priests are fnding it hard to find women who want to live such a life. Since the majority of priests are monks, this means that the majority of Greek priests are unmarried.

But this is all beside the point. I have heard too many priests who think that the Church ought to allow them to marry AND remain priests.