Could allowing priests to be married lower the child molestation cases in Catholic church?

Question

If priests would have a healthy sex life, maybe they would leave childern alone?
Of course, wifes might not want to have sex with their priest husbands, so that will bring other set of problems???
If it was allowed for priest to get married, would it be Ok to priest to continue as priest if they divorce?

Thank you for all answers.
I was thinking, maybe there would be more healhy priest candidates, if marriage was allowed.

Answer 1

No. More screening should be done to keep out pedophiles. The vast majority of clergy would never molest a child. If members of the clergy were to have an affair with someone, with the majority of clergy it would be with an adult. I am thankful that these scandals have finally been brought to light because now things are being to done make sure that new cleryg are not pedophiles and that clergy that are pedophiles will not work with children and will most likely be dismissed.

It is ok - clergy become clergy because they WANT a celibate life. It is not like they did not know what it meant coming in. They go through years of school before finally taking their vows. They choose to dedicate their lives to God for their spirtitual fulfillment and for the good of the rest of the flock. Clergy with Children would try and will church property to them after death, would think of their children first and not the whole flock and would just in general not be able to give one hundred percent of their time to a life of prayer. Being a clergy member is hard work. It would be selfish to expect a lay person to live around the life of a clergy member. But let us not forget - the clergy marry God. Life is not all about sex and the clergy realize this.

Answer 2

I don't really understand the doctrine that demands priests not be married. In fact, in Christianity we're all priests (I Peter 2:9). Peter (whom Catholics consider the first pope) was married (Matthew 8:14).

Nevertheless, I'm not sure that molestation has anything to do with not being married. I don't think these guys that molest are capable of having a healthy sex life. It may be that some men go into priesthood for cover rather than for service. Molestation and rape are about control and domination. Being married doesn't really remedy the dysfunction of the molester mindset.

Maybe they need intensive psychological profiling or ongoing counseling.

Answer 3

the fact that plenty of child molestors outside of the catholic church are married leads me to say no. If it was lack of healthy sex that drove priests to molest boys, you would think they would be molesting girls just as much and better still, just havinbg sex with adult women. I'm sure if it was jus ta matte rof sexual frustration, a priest could probably find a nun equally frustrated and not risk being caught with a boy. The prieshood attracts these type for various reasons. Some think they can kill their tendencies by being a priest. of course they are wrong. Then you have the sinister type that intentionally seek positions where they will have access to boys. In any case, it ain't lack of nookie making these already sick men sick.

Answer 4

No.

Being a priest doesn't make you a child molester.

Child molesters have infiltrated the catholic church. They aren't interested in any way, in a healthy sex life. What they want is the access to children they can get as a member of the church.

Answer 5

It would not make a bit of difference.

Child molesting has nothing to do with them not being married. Pedophiles wouldn't be interested in a marriage with an adult woman. Even if they did enter into that type of arrangement, they would still molest children. It is the nature of the pedophile... to take advantage of children.

With your suggestion in mind...

A HUGE percentage of little girls who get molested get molested by their step father. Should we not allow mothers with children to re-marry after a divorce because step fathers are prone to molesting children?

The solution is to SEVERELY punish the criminal for acting on their pedophile desires.

It really says a lot about our society when a drug offender has mandatory sentances and child molesters often get probation and "therapy."

If society really wants to solve the problem, they should quit focusing on the wrong areas and punish the offender. When people start getting put away for a huge portion of their lives, others will be less likely to act on their perverted desires.

Pedophilia is not caused by lack of sexual outlet. Most child molesters are married. Allowing them to be married won't stop them from wanting to seduce children/teenagers. Only putting them in jail for VERY long times without parole will stop them from seducing children. The punishment fits the crime. And stops them from abusing other children for the duration of the sentance. When/if they get out of jail, they MUST be strictly supervised and regulated. The victim suffers a lifetime of being messed up due to the criminal desires. The criminal must suffer a lifetime of supervision/regulation. Where am I wrong here?
Everybody wins. The church gets rid of the problem. Society gets rid of the problem. Everybody is happy... but the child molester... and he/she shouldn't be happy.

Just my thoughts on the matter. forgive any bad spelling... spell check is "having problems" and no matter how many times I "tried again," it wouldn't work.

Answer 6

Ok.
When they take the oath, they know what they have to deal with. And those child molesters aren't really priests at all.
They're scumbags.
I mean, there are many other forms of ministry where you CAN marry and still preach.
But really, sex or no sex shouldn't ever make a real Christian and a genuine person of God do that kind of stuff.

Answer 7

Catholic preist were not always deprived of sex and marriage. The rule was later added because priests abused their position of "being close to god". You know if you f-u-c-k a priest you get into heaven. If you don't believe it do you remember tythes? Some people still pay them, in the form of large 'donations'. Silly.

Answer 8

But if it's mostly boys that are getting molested (I've hardly heard of girl victims)...would they be into women? So it might not change much if some people just happen to be perverted child molesters. Others live by the same restrictions to and don't do that stuff...

Answer 9

Marriage or the lack of it, is not the problem. Most child molestors are that way because they were molested by their parents and they got sent off course by their own parents or relatives. So in short, it would not help a bit.

Answer 10

yes it would when the in the 1200s the priest could marry and the pope made it illegal for priest to marry