Lapsed Catholic here. I want my priest to be married/have a family. Why is that so wrong?

There is no greater instance of sexual abuse within the Catholic Chruch than wider society, it may in fact be slightly less.

I wasn't arguing otherwise, this is irrelevant. I've seen the stats.

What is unique is a very closed leadership that suffered from moral rot and did everything to avoid conforonting that, mainly because they were the culprits. Homosexuality among the higher prelates plays an important part, but only a part.

This does nothing to address the fact that the celibacy rules have closed off a significant population of potential priests for the Church. I have family back in Europe too, and across European countries (along with America) the struggle to fill seminaries brought a lot of weirdos into the priesthood. Closed off Leadership and Moral rot is a symptom of a larger issue, it's the bubbling of the problem to surface.

The idea that married men, or women really, though it's usually of a different nature, don't commit sexual or physical abuse is ridiculous because they are the largest group that does.

Irrelevant. I never implied that celibate people have a higher tendency to commit devious, or even illegal, sexual acts. Celibacy, at least in true action, is an honorable undertaking.

I don't want the standards of priesthood lowered even more to appease people who don't even really care.

Nice attitude. People do care, which is why they come here and bring up important topics like this.

Why should I listen to a lapsed Catholic on how the Chruch should operate?

This is exactly the type of response I was expecting on this sub.

The Church will keep missing out on brilliant potential seminarians due to this rule, at a time when it needs strong leaders more than ever.

Two things can be true at once - celibacy is indeed an honorable act, but having a married priest (or seminarians allowed to have a wife) could also bring multiple benefits that you know exist but are clearly too upset with my post to even admit.

Your entire response is condescending and extremely defensive. We can play this game and go down this rabbit hole if you'd like.

/r/Catholicism Thread Parent