OK I'm not a Catholic (and am now an agnostic, not a practicing member of any denomination) but was raised in a similar sect: the Lutherans (Mom was a Catholic until she married Dad, then became a Lutheran, as the rest of his family was... and part of her adult confirmation consisted of a Lutheran reverend doctor taking the class to a Catholic mass and showing how little difference between the sects there was). I also have attended services (or masses if you prefer) conducted by Catholic priests on numerous occasions, usually (but not always) related to Christmas or wedding celebrations. Aside from confession to a priest and the imposed pennace (vs confessing sins directly to God through prayer) and the use of Latin, I never saw a lot of difference. As I got older and studied a little more history, I found that many early churchmen were married and that the Catholic prohibition is more a tradition of style more than substance (Christ never mandated that his followers be celebate, medieval popes decided that).
Likewise, as times have changed and the role of women in our society has evolved, I really don't see a basis for the prohibition of women as priests, save that it was something that traditionally wasn't done. Conversely, I have attended services conducted by female clergy of other denominations (such as United and Anglican/Church of England) which were as valid and well presented by any I'd attended by male clergy. Now I can respect the idea of holding onto traditions but by the same token, the idea of priests emerging from the native populations (such as that of South America which was pagan 500 years ago, converted "by the sword" by the Spaniards, and now much is devoutly Catholic) was anathema at one point, whereas today it is accepted practice not to discriminate based on racial origin. If the Catholic Church is willing to act against internal racism, why does it lack the will to act against its own sexism as well?
