As a protestant, I've always found the papal requirement of celibacy funny, in light of the claim that the papacy is a sort of Apostolic-authority lineage from Peter, who was, well, married.
Some of the early Church Fathers (e.g. Jerome) maintained that the married Apostles, including Peter, gave up marital relations with their wives after being called by Christ, i.e. they practiced perpetual (or "perfect") sexual continence from that time forward. Celibacy developed later, as a safeguard for those called to exercise the same "apostolic continence".
Indeed, three of the four gospels record Jesus healing Peter's wife (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Healing_the_mother_of_Peter%27...)
As a protestant, I've always found the papal requirement of celibacy funny, in light of the claim that the papacy is a sort of Apostolic-authority lineage from Peter, who was, well, married.