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As a Protestant friend of the Catholic Church, I have a suggestion for the Vatican if it wants to reduce the percentage of gays in ministry. Try allowing priests to marry or be married (heterosexually, that is !) and I think it will help to solve the problem.

A no go. The way you reduce the number of gays is by barring their entrance. Incidentally, coming from a Eastern Catholic background, I can assure you that there are married Priests in the Church already. In any event it has nothing to do with the problems the Church has been experiencing (coming from a minority of the clergy). See this quote from Fr. Fessio:

"That's what was so insidious. Now in our present culture -- which is obsessed with sex -- the church must make sure its own ministers are not contaminated by this secularized worldview," he said.

First and foremost, the Church needs holy men called by God to the Priesthood.

The priest shortage would be resolved quickly...

There is no real "Priest shortage".

...and the Catholic Church (and Christianity) would emerge as a much stronger force in the world.

Only to the extent that all Catholics, including Priests, respond virtuously to the Grace of God in living a life of holiness will this continue to come to fruition.