If the Catholic church had had women priests instead of an all-male clergy, would there have been less chance of abuse?

that would make them even more against God's Word than they are now

WE WOULD BE GUESSING SO LETS LET GOD HANDLE IT...HE HAS ALL POWER AND WE DONT.

Pedophilia is a paraphilia, and about 80% of paraphiliacs are male. Researchers thought that when child sexual abuse started to be discussed openly, back in the 80s, that information about a lot of women abusers would start coming out of the woodwork, but it didn't happen. The bottom line is that women, for reasons not fully understood, are simply not as prone to paraphilias and other forms of problem sexuality.

That's not to say, however, that they are totally immune. There are stories of sexually abusive nuns. I think the real issue here is chastity -- being required to live a totally sex-free life. Some people manage perfectly well; others do not. It's just not all that realistic to demand it. That's why married priests might have reduced the level of abuse greatly. A lot of the abusers probably weren't gay or even true pedophiles.. They were simply "proximity abusers," men who abused whatever was available, and male children were available. Marriage and healthy marital sex lives could have made a difference.

Finally, women's sexual desire levels tend to decline with age; whereas men's, studies have shown, do not or don't decline nearly as much. That could have made a difference, too.

Maybe. But there would still be a chance of statutory rape. 1 in 10 children WILL be sexually abused by an adult in a secular public school. They have women teachers there too. And there is no shortage of female teachers who sexually abuse teenage boys.

And for all of those who think that married priests would be the answer, the percentage of men who are pedophiles in society is way higher than the percentage of priests. And many of them are married and sexually abuse their own children.

Instead of changing doctrine because of an unrelated issue, why don't we fix the issue instead.

I think it would make more difference if they were allowed to marry.

Who is saying that nuns can't be as abusive as priests?

It was a Catholic nun that drove me to atheism, but I never wrote to thank her. (W.C.Fields )

It would probably have reduced the incidence of abuse. Lesbians are not nearly as prone to child molestation.

Doubtful. Nuns are very abusive, especially to children.

Growing up with Nuns, they had their own way of "abusing" you.

Almost certainly.

Women seem to care more about the mental and physical health of children. It isn't necessarily that way, and some men are excellent fathers, but in general a group of men competing for power don't really care much about children's well being. The evidence suggests that at least.