Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!mailrus!tut.cis.ohio-state.edu!cs.utexas.edu!uwm.edu!rutgers!aramis.rutgers.edu!athos.rutgers.edu!christian From: kriz@skat.usc.edu (Dennis Kriz) Newsgroups: soc.religion.christian Subject: Re: With all due respect for Catholics... Message-ID: Date: 7 Jun 90 04:49:57 GMT Sender: hedrick@athos.rutgers.edu Organization: University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA Lines: 11 Approved: christian@aramis.rutgers.edu A certain historical perspective has to be taken into account too. Celibacy was enforced in the Church not in small measure to prevent Church posts (particularly those of the Bishops) from becoming hereditary. The Catholic Church's history is *long* ... It passed through a period where just about every other position of power was deemed hereditary. (Kings, lords and what-not). I think that it was a good thing that the Bishops were not allowed to become both "pope and ceasar" dennis kriz@skat.usc.edu