Married man becoming Latin Rite Catholic priest if giving up sex? This article (A Brief History of Celibacy in the Catholic Church) states:


  "In the Latin Church, one may be a married priest if one is a life-long Catholic but promises never again to have sexual relations with ones wife."


Is that statement true? A married catholic man can become priest if he promises to no longer have sex with his wife? Are there any documents saying that?
This is not what the 1983 Code of Canon Law says.


  
  The following are simply impeded from receiving orders:
  
  
  a man who has a wife, unless he is lawfully destined for the permanent diaconate;
  
  
  ...
  


A "simple" impediment is one which applies at the time in question but is not permanent. That is, if a man later becomes unmarried (which means he is widowed, in practice), the impediment no longer applies and he can receive orders.

But while he is married, even if he separates from his wife or promises not to have conjugal relations, he is impeded from receiving orders.

It's the same in the 1917 Pio-Benedictine Code of Canon Law, although that is even more restrictive, applying to putative permanent deacons as well:


  
  Sunt simpliciter impediti:
  
  
  Viri uxorem habentes;
  
  





  
  Simply impeded are:
  
  
  Men having wives;
  
  


Thus the Future Church site can't be referring to the old abrogated Code either.

Canon 1047 &sect;2 n.3 of the 1983 Code allows the Apostolic See [viz., the Pope, or CDF on his behalf] to dispense individuals from the impediment. Each one is treated individually; there's no blanket dispensation for a class of person. This is what allows married clergy from other denominations to be reordained as priests in the Catholic Church. Since it is applied individually, to each applicable candidate on his own merits, it could be applied to "cradle Catholics", but I know of no cases.

CIC Reference — my print copy which I quote is a slightly different translation.