Four times as many priests involve themselves sexually with adult women than with children, says A.W. Richard Sipe. Sipe, a former Benedictine monk and author of Sex, Priests, and Power: Anatomy of a Crisis, has studied celibacy and sexuality within the priesthood for more than 30 years. At any time, he says, 20 percent of priests in good standing are involved in sexual relationships with women. Moreover, he estimates only 2 percent of those vowed to celibacy achieve it.

Some Catholics expressed sympathy for Cutie and said it was time to end the celibacy rule. Others said that, given the recent scandals involving U.S. priests sexually abusing young boys, and Irish priests raping, flogging and enslaving children in Catholic schools, they were relieved that Cutie had merely become involved with an adult woman.

I feel like it is time to end the celibacy rule.

Does anybody even know why there is a celibacy rule for priests. It was so the priest when he died would not pass any money or estates he had on to a family, it went to the church. Is the church so in need of money that this practice is still necessary?

Bingo Tany.

I feel like a lot of it is about saving the Church money.

Celibacy is required of Buddhist monks and nuns as well. And speaking of nuns, I wonder why there are no big scandals about Catholic nuns breaking the vow of celibacy. When I read or hear news stories about nuns they are either self-sacrificing (Mother Theresa) or vicious abusers (Catholic school, Magdalen Laundries). Hmmm...