Nothing is wrong with celibacy per se. That’s why use the term “mandatory” when I discuss it. Yes, seminarians voluntarily take a vow of celibacy before becoming ordained a priest. But this vow-—especially for younger priests-—is not usually practical.
Case in point: I found out a few years ago that the young priest who married my wife and I was defocked. He was having an affair with a woman he loved and was expelled from the priesthood. IMHO, he should have been permitted to marry the woman and remain in the priesthood. He was a devout Catholic and loved the priesthood.
On the positive side, I have observed in recent years that the average age of seminarians has risen dramatically. According to our pastor the average of a man entering the seminary is now 35 years old. For those who want to keep mandatory clerical celibacy in place, this should be viewed as a positive trend. These are, for the most part, older men, presumably sexually mature, most have been around the block a few times, and know full well what is expected of them. They are also subject to a full battery of psychological examinations and criminal background checks.
As I previously mentioned, we do in fact have a large number of married priests in my archdiocese, and I have NO PROBLEM WITH THIS WHATSOEVER. They are just as holy, just as dedicated as the single, celibate priests.
With respects to nuns and monks-—for the sake of keeping this discussion focused, I would like to discuss that issue separately.
His take is that the call to the SERIOUSLY eremitical life is an entirely different matter from the call to the priesthood. I think that stands to reason. And that at least makes room for the discussion about celibacy and priesthood.
First Things recently had an article about celibacy as an anti-establishment act. It is interesting that both Bismarck and the Meiji emperor wanted their clergy married. It became a requirement in Japan!
My experience as a married Episcopal priest for a congregation undergoing a tough and angry transition was that being married in that situation was incredibly painful. Those who didn't like the decisions I made took it out on my wife. I'm glad that, at the time, we didn't have a child.
Certainly, if the congregation has control of the compensation of their minister and if at the time the congregation needs to deal with contentious issues, a celibate clergy will be, as Paul says, more able to focus on the job.
I wonder if it can be fairly said that the churches of the east have been more likely to cooperate with the government than the Catholic Church in the west has been. I am certain that, in this age where the call to martyrdom of one sort or another seems ever louder, I would find having a pregnant wife at home taking care of the other children a HUGE influence on whether and how I stood against the demands of the current anti-life government.