How about allowing married priests, which even conservatives generally will admit is only a matter of discipline and not a matter of doctrine? In other words, the question there, unlike some other issues, is not whether it can be done or whether its doctrinally correct to do it, but rather simply "Is it prudent to do it?". In areas where there is a priest shortage and a lack of access to the sacraments, to me the answer to "Is it prudent?" Is a resounding "Yes!", at least in these particular areas.
The other thing we could do is expand the permanent deaconate. I honestly would say "Expand it to women!" in a perfect world, but if they are unwilling or feel unable to do that, they could do things like encourage more men to try to discern whether or not they have vocations to the deaconate, make more seninary level courses available to lay people for free with the idea that maybe they will "get hooked" and consider becoming deacons, ask every male lay parish adminstrator if he's considered becoming a deacon, etc.. Vatican II is well known for empowering the laity, which it did, and doing so was and is a *good* thing, *but* often overlooked is that Vatican II is also the council that restored the permanent deaconate, IIRC (It was at least a reform of that era, if not strictly councillar). There's no reaosn why we shouldn't at least give every priestless parish a permenent deacon to lead services and distribute preconcecrated communion if necessary.
