Let look at the overwhelming evidence to support this position:
Clergy in the early church had wives. St. Peter was married. Jesus healed Peter's mother-in-law at their home in Capernaum.Unfortunately, what has been left out is that we do not know if Peter's wife was even still alive at the time. Or, if she was, did they forsake sexual relations for the sake of the kingdom? Or, did they separate or live as brother and sister? Of course, these questions would be viewed as irrelevant to the position being proposed by the "dump celibacy" crowd. The panacea is not to be found in overturning the discipline of celibacy - if it were the case, then there would exist sufficient evidence in the Eastern Rite and Eastern Orthodox Churches as well as in the Protestant denominations to support the 'married clergy' position. As we know, the evidence is not there, all of these others are experiencing shortages as well.
The answer can be found in fruitful and holy families which are authentically Catholic - obedient to the will of God and faithful to Christ and His Church. We only need look around us to see one reason for the problem. For example, contracepting "Catholic" families are engaged in depriving God and the Church of life - without life, there are no vocations. There must be a return to the theological virtues of Faith, Hope, and Charity - for families in which sanctity and virtue are no longer esteemed will be incapable of producing life or vocations. We must continue to pray for our Church and ask our Lord to bless His people and give them the graces that are necessary for vocations to the priesthood.
Article here.
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