Asymmetric Religion and Philosophy

If the Pope invites me to lunch during his visit, I'd humbly give my opinion, between bites, on the Western-rite clergy and celibacy.

It's something that he's already thought about. The Pope discusses celibacy in this article. History of celibacy, an article from newadvent.org explains that celibacy amongst priests was officially enacted in 1215 to fight corruption, especially involving the property of the church, and making it, therefore, a discipline and not a dogma. I know that arguments exist for normative priestly celibacy and that celibacy has a good effect on some people, but the Pope, in my humble opinion, should lift the ban.

The first reason is the severe demographic decline of many nominally Catholic countries including Spain, France, and Italy where birth rates are not even at replacement levels. Now, besides the wider societal consequence of lowering the number of births even more, which family would wish to extinguish its name by giving up its only son to the priesthood? An ability to marry would not only increase recruitment, but increase Catholics.

Another reason to allow priests to marry would be to lessen the number of pedophelia-inclined priests who may initially be attracted to the priesthood in order to avoid having to explain their disinterest in women.

No doubt that many men would become priests if they were allowed to marry (we know that God calls some so that there will always be a minimum number of priests).

At the very least, marriage should be an option as it is in Eastern Catholic Churches and Orthodox Churches.

Anyways, in 2008, married priests is the way forward, it seems to this layman.