As one who is celibate, some thoughts:
Tbh I think some in the Church make far to much of celibacy, elevating it almost to the level of a dogma or pat of unchangeable sacred Tradition (note the capital “T”) and drawing on strained interpretations of scripture to make this point (e.g. “eunuchs for the sake of the Kingdom”). Granted St Paul wasn’t exactly a fan of marriage (he probably would have been hard to live with anyway) but that also doesn’t take us very far. It also ignores the fact that celibacy wasn’t part of Church law until the 4th century as well as the pastoral provision allowing former Anglican clergy to remain married (they were previously expected to abandon their wives), not to mention the absence of a celibacy requirement in the Eastern Rites - nobody would seriously suggest that they are somehow lesser in their priesthood.
That said, I would certainly agree that celibacy is a gift and a calling - those called to the priesthood in the Latin Rite (excluding the Anglican Ordinariate) are also called to celibacy. The reasons for this are essentially practical. Lots of jobs and careers are demanding on a person’s time and require careful balance with family life, much more so than priesthood. Similarly, most priests don’t actually receive that many night calls (unless they’re on call for a major hospital) compared to say doctors or police officers. Obviously celibacy does make living this life easier but that aside, the simple reality is that we’ve had an almost-exclusively celibate diocesan presbyterate for something like 1600 years; our whole approach to priesthood, parish life and diocesan management is based around a celibate clergy and this is simply not something that could be easily changed nor are there any sufficiently compelling reasons why it should be. Attracting married men is hardly likely to be any easier (if for no other reason than their wives would have to agree), sexual abuse is a red herring (more than a few pedophiles are married men) as is the notion of happy, healthier priests (the problems aren’t that simple).
I could see a role for viri probati - older, married men - but this too isn’t without it’s complications and realistically, we’re talking only a very small pool of potential candidates. Celibacy, like most things in life, is both a blessing and a curse; it enables me to devote more time to my ministry than might otherwise be the case but it also runs the risk of developing a bachelor-like lifestyle. Ultimately, it’s perhaps best seen as a sacrifice, one which is important for effective diocesan priesthood even if not absolutely essential. It’s also a sacrifice which those called to diocesan priesthood are equally called to and that’s the ultimate danger with loose and over-eager talk around celibacy - that, as in the 1960’s - candidates for the priesthood will develop unrealistic expectations that the rule will change only to end up disappointed and frustrated when it doesn’t.
