[Father John Gremmels, a Roman Catholic priest, was new to his parish when he went grocery shopping near his church in Ft. Worth, Texas, a few years ago. As he pushed his cart, he held hands with an attractive woman, setting local gossips atwitter.

BUT AS PRIESTLY SCANDALS GO, this one was blessedly short-lived. People quickly learned that Gremmels, 49, is one of a rare breed: a married Catholic priest whose exemption from the vow of celibacy came directly from Pope John Paul II. Gremmels’s marriage to Tracy, 41, is totally in accordance with church law. But for Catholics unaccustomed to a priest with a wife and three kids, some experiences take getting used to, like the time his young daughter jumped into his lap during mass. The Gremmelses have adapted, too. “We try not to do too much snuggling in public,” he says. It’s too bad every scandal in the Catholic Church can’t be solved that easily. ]

[Since 1981, when the pope signed a “pastoral provision” allowing married Episcopal priests to be ordained into the Roman Catholic priesthood, more than 80 married U.S. Episcopalians have switched teams, bringing their wives along as they join the nation’s 48,000 Catholic priests]

http://www.msnbc.com/news/738463.asp

I don't know... seems to me that there's already a 'clause' here to reverse the required celebacy rule of law. I heard a similar defense on this from Rev. Weiss from the University of Notre Dame.

Marcia