I don't think celibacy is an issue in and of itself, in terms of a lack of sex.
I have seen some credible work suggesting that in the way that celibacy contributes both to personal isolation, loneliness, lack of normal intimacy, and a clerical culture in which clergy are seen as "different" and special, set apart from norms which apply to other people, it can be a contributing factor. (It is harder to put someone on a pedestal when his wife is in the background reminding you that he's just an ordinary guy who gets manflu and doesn't pick up his socks... )
Clericalism in general is a problem, and it feeds into abuse and abuse cover ups (not just in Catholic circles, either). Breaking down clericalism, by sharing real power and decision-making with the laity in a much more substantial way, would be a healthy thing and is one step I've seen recommended towards the kind of cultural change that is needed.
At the very least, working in environments where team ministry was the norm, and clergy shared responsibility for their work with colleagues whom they saw daily and - if they didn't have families - with whom they lived, would help to break down some of the unhelpful psychological dynamics of the role, and also remove opportunities for wrongdoing.
As it is, the power and spiritual elitism of the clergy can be attractive for people who are immature and whose identity is not well-formed, and for whom abuse is a danger when the stress of the role inevitably becomes too much. (And yes, ideally such men would never be ordained, but in the real world some people are ordained who shouldn't be. No selection and discernment process is perfect).
There is also real need to break down codes of silence around matters of abuse (actually all sins of power). There needs to be transparency of discipline, and a commitment to truth-telling, which up until now we have not had. (For example, from my own personal experience, I knew a bishop who lost his position due to having an affair with someone in his pastoral care; but all that was told to his congregations was that he had "resigned for personal reasons." Then as the truth gradually became known, there was much more hurt, sense of betrayal and so on, than if the church had just been honest up front about what he had done!)
I do believe that both screening and formation are vastly improved on the era which produced most of the clergy of the abuse crisis. And that is good. But I'm not sure that we have gone deep enough, or whether we have just mostly dealt with surface issues.
So, action points:
- Allow clergy to marry and have families, as part of a commitment to breaking down clericalist culture
- Take other measures to break down clericalism
- Share real power with the laity (including women) at every level of church governance
- Set up team ministry situations so that clergy are not isolated, left unaccountable, without resources to manage stress etc
- Become transparent and honest with the public where unethical conduct has occurred
That's what I've seen recommended in the academic literature from those who have studied these matters. Is there anything there that is fundamentally unacceptable to the church(es)?