Celibacy not required for Catholic clergy

Those problems are going to occur regardless of when the celibacy requirements are going to be removed. I suspect the RCC of the 60's and 70's was actually better equipped than in most decades to handle such things - liberation theology spills over into a lot of things. I agree that adding married priests and birth control in a single sucker punch - along with changes to the liturgy - is probably too much for many people to absorb, though. However, the RCC has no terribly good reason to change its birth control policy, and doing so before the 80s is rather implausible.

There's plenty of precedents to follow (most obviously the Anglican Church). It's just that the RCC is never going to admit, or allow it to be obvious, that they're following the lead of another denomination. Such subleties are well within their abilities though.

Allowing an already-ordained person to marry requires a change in the definition of priesthood. Ordaining an already-married person requires making an exception to the formal qualifications. The latter is a LOT easier for people to swallow than the former - regardless of what might or might not be 'fair', exisiting priests won't get the right to marry for some time after.
 
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