Priesthood faces more than a recruitment problem

Common sense says that priest celibacy and the refusal to ordain women priests contribute to the priest shortage, and I congratulate the author of the recent letter to the editor, “Catholic Church must reform the priesthood” (Aug. 26).

But even if the seminaries were crowded and priests plentiful, there are reasons of a moral nature to consider.

Priestly celibacy sends a message that the celibate life is more worthy than married life. The refusal to ordain women sends a similar message that women are inferior to me.

There is no other way to put it: Both messages are profoundly wrong.

— John C. Murphy, Baltimore