Well, it might be better in the abstract.
In the lived reality, as they say, Catholics need priests - more than a few - to benefit from the sacraments.
I don't know if you've noticed, but the life of a solitary pastor, caring for as many as two thousand souls, with no fellow priests and no spouse, has become very, very hard.
Not that it was ever easy - but your prescription to increase radically the demands on each priest while further isolating him from his fellow priests, both through overwork and geographic distance, doesn't seem promising.
“I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but the life of a solitary pastor, caring for as many as two thousand souls, with no fellow priests and no spouse, has become very, very hard.”
It has always been so, and yet the principle remains the same. A priest must be faithful. A priest must be willing to give up his life in the flesh for a life in the faith.
“Not that it was ever easy - but your prescription to increase radically the demands on each priest”
How am I changing anything. You say I am making radical demands on the priests by calling them to uphold the vows that they made to the Church. I am not changing anything, simply asking that they remain faithful to these vows for the rest of their life.
“while further isolating him from his fellow priests,”
On the contrary. A parish which preaches the word of Christ and lives the word will find vocations. You are basically saying that the Word is not enough, when such is not the case. Yes, we could be easy, but people are not looking for the easy way. And even if they did, would we want them?
I’ll say again, it is not the number of priests, but the quality that is important. We must have faithful priests.