Should the Catholic Church let Priests marry or have relationships in order to stop the abuse?

should let them marry

They should be able to marry. But if they only like little boys, I don't think it will do much for them.

"Should the Catholic Church let Priests marry or have relationships?"

Is the question I answered.

I don't really think it has much bearing on the last part of the question as asked.
A child molester/abuser is going to do that pretty much regardless of their other relationships.

I'm an Episcopalian, so, married priests are normal to me. So are female priests. *GASP*

denying someone to have a normal relationship should have been banned years, centuries ago...

There may have been a good reason to have celibate priests at one time, but the Orthodox, Lutheran, and Anglicans have shown that a modern church can make allowance for both married and celibate priests.

I think it is high time that the RCC allow its priests to exercise choice and, if they wish to marry, then let them.

yes

It is very personal, but in my opinion Catholic priests and nuns should be permitted to marry. In the olden days, Catholic priests did marry, a case in point, Saint Thomas More, who married twice and had children but was still devoted to the Catholic church and lost his head defending the church. In some cities, the Catholic churches had trouble attracting men to join the priesthood that they were allowing married men to serve as Catholic priests after undergoing the training. However, marriage has not been known to stop a pedophile from abusing children. The key is for parents to be more vigilant about their children and not left it to the priests or church to raise them just because they were too busy to keep an eye on everyone.

But I don't think that has an affect on why most abusive priests abuse. I think the priesthood was seen as a great hiding place for pedophiles.

I you never understand! What are you people? What then the Book listens to the heart?

Yes, but not because of abuse. I don't think that is what makes them abuse. Plenty of pedophiles are not in the church. I think they should be able to marry because the bible doesn't say you cannot be married.

If the priests could marry it may slow down the abuse. More people would enter the priesthood.

Married Protestant clergy and rabbis abuse children at the same rate as celibate clergy does... so why would marriage make that much of a differnence? Public school teachers, police, fireman, coaches..they all abuse children and they are married.

Doesn't make sense.

You try and come up with a solution but I guess a person who is predisposed to abuse children will regardless of their profession. So sad.

Regardless of profession or marital status

Sadly true.

How could that stop the abuses? They always had relationships whenever they wanted to, at least in my country they do. Non officially, of course. But getting married or being able to have a relationship openly has nothing to do with abusing kids. If they want to f++k a consenting adult, I don't care, but taking benefit of people trust to reach their children...

I really don't know - It was a big part of the tradition - not to be a married priest. Hey but there are SO many problems for the Catholic Church eg Abortion - Creationists - and (in my view)the Church doing so much harm in third world countries around contraception eg. giving aid-so having more children-environment won't support them SO BACK TO MORE AID (and corruption) - I saw a tribe in the desert in India who had nothing but caught rats and ate some but sold most to the Zoo's for their snakes etc - So successful and did not rely on anyone - very clever humans !!!

Indians are Hindus, not Catholics. The largest population growth rates in the World are in Muslim, Hindu, and Protestant South Pacific lands.

We have a Hindu Temple in my next road - I'm very aware that it originates in India and seems quite tolerant (for a religion) I liked the images - Sorry I didn't mean to say that the "Indian Tribe" belonged to any denomination - probably none - as they were poor but very intelligent.Best way for religion is to beat it into kids (it didn't work with me but there's always one......)

This is not my decision....seems like Sandusky is married? bark

They are people just like the rest of us, with the same needs and weaknesses...

prohibiting clergy from marrying goes against scripture. Paul said that it is best that we do not marry (second century persecution), but if we are unable to keep ourselves from committing sins of the flesh, it is better that we marry, and in doing so, we have not sinned.

Those that want to have relationships already have them.

I think they would have a better pick if Married men were allowed to marry. There was a time when priest could be married.

This is all I will say..PETER WAS KNOWN AS THE FIRST POPE of the ROMAN CATHOLIC FAITH..he was married and had children....PAUL SAID it is better to marry than to burn(with desire and awful torment), but it is most desirable for one to be single and be in service to GOD...but being married or not is and never has been a PREREQUISITE to being a MINISTER IN GOD'S SERVICE..it is far less COMPLICATED if ONE IS SINGLE so they can concentrate on SERVICE.....

Most definitely. I've always thought it was so strange that ours is the only religion that won't let priests marry. Ministers marry, rabbis marry...why not priests???

I don't think it would help much. Even if priests were allowed to marry, they would still have to follow strict sexual guidelines within that marriage.

Not all that strict. pretty much, just keep it in the marriage, pretty much all else is fair game.

I do not think that letting the priests marry will necessarily solve the issue. I cannot however, come up with another idea so...perhaps the marriage solution is best

I think they should let both Priests and Nuns marry. This will hopefully get more good worthy people to commit to the church. Unfortunately this will NOT stop the abuse. The only thing that will even slow it down is to stop shielding them prosecution. A lot of times if they start getting complaints they will just move them to another church where they are not known. Let it be known that if any credible complaints are lodged then it will be turned over to the local D.A. for investigation.

Priest celibacy is unique to the Roman Catholic faith. The many other sects of Catholicism (Coptic, Eastern Orthodox, etc) allow clergy marriage. The Church did allow priests to marry until the 5th century. The celibacy edict was due to inheritance laws, not for any religious reason.

While it couldn't completely stop the abuse, I think allowing priests to marry would attract a more trustworthy demographic to the priesthood.

It wouldn't work. The Catholic Church does not marry homosexuals.

Won't matter.
Any priest that would have a relationship to avoid their urge to molest children is still no priest, and is still going to hell, or that which they conceive as hell.
So what's the difference in replacing one sin to cover another according to the catholic church doctrine.
If the church is true, and that of God, they do not need to change anything.
Only false churches change to appease their followers. The point is to follow god and "HIS" commandments or why bother, just resolute your life to an etirinity of hell and move on with your pitiful exsistence.

Don't get me wrong, because I don't subscribe to any of it. But if your gonna play the catholic game and think your honorable to their God, then you had better follow the church doctrine or admit your a bigot who only does what's conformfortable for your lifestyle and just want to present the image of a decent person, even though your not.
That's what most people do.
Anything to do with the catholic church is a god-damn shame far as I'm concerned.

actually there are some married priests...if a say Episcapol (I know I cant spell)Minister who is married comes into the church, ...he can stay married and be a Priest...we have one such in our diosece up here..

If you think mariage cures pedophilia I have two words for you------JERRY SANDUSKY. What the Church realy needs is a better screening process. As a practicing and contributing Catholic I am horrified at what has been ordained over the past 40 years. Every year the priests have seemed to get weirder and more effeminate/ What pool is the Church drawing candidates from? Would married priests do better? I hope so.

Foolish rule. Nuns should have the oportunity for marriage as well.

I honestly don't think letting priests marry will stop the abuse. They're not doing it because they have no one else to have sex with; if that was the case it'd be just as easy to drive to the next town and pick up one-night stands at a bar. They're paedophiles. Getting married won't stop that.

I think they should be allowed to marry. It would not cut down on child molesters, it has already been proven that a person being will still abuse a child.