Free choice to choose vocations? Not entirely correct. Many older Catholics will recall back in the day many large Catholic families often encouraged a young son or daughter to enter into vocations (with active support of the Church) often at a VERY young age, sometimes as young as fourteen. These youths would then go to what could be called a prep school for the seminary before actually entering into it. Obviously many such teenagers were sexually and psychologically immature and no where near an age appropriate to make such a decision. This policy no doubt was a major factor contributing to the pedophile/homosexual priest scandal.
Of course times have changed and since the scandal and the Church has implemented a very stringent screening process before accepting individuals into vocations which include a number of physical and psychological examinations. According to the pastor of our church, only one in ten candidates actually get accepted into the seminary, and the average of a person entering into the seminary these days is about thirty five.
1955-65 were peak years in the US for teens entering religious life AND getting married. By 1970-80 these rates began to drop, often drastically, and both early-mariages and early-vocations were falling apart.
Many of the boys who were headed toward ordination via "Minor Seminaries" (high schools) in the '40's - '50's were no way mature enough to make a lifetime commitment: ditto the 17-year-old novices and high school newlyweds.
That might have worked in centuries past when society was relatively stable, nobody openly advocated vice, the whole society provided role-models and safeguards, and young people in late adolescence were much more mature.
But no more --- obviously.
So 30-year-old priests who realized they really weren't cut out for celibacy, split when "society" gave them huge encouragement to split --- 1965 - 75 --- they left the priesthood, dated women, got married; and those who stayed were maybe disproportionately those who worked out some kind of homosexual modus vivendi within the structure.
In some places they relly reached a critical mass, i.e. some notorious seminaries. San Francisco. Baltimore. Read "Goodbye, Good Men." That was exceptionally dangerous because they were then in a position to recruit gay seminarians and basically drive out normal guys.
Thus in *some places*, they really concocted a *hell* of a homosexual-clerical subculture.
That's a reasonable hypothesis, I think.
We're still working past the explosions of 1968. Even the perps indicted now are in their '70's - '80's. I think --- hopefully-- we're past most of it by now.
Oremus.