Philip Shenon

Well, if you decree that priests can't marry, they can't have kids, the money goes to the church. And over the history of the church, many priests, many bishops had come from families of great wealth or royalty, in fact. And if you decree that they can have no family to leave their wealth to, That wealth comes to the church.

Well, if you decree that priests can't marry, they can't have kids, the money goes to the church. And over the history of the church, many priests, many bishops had come from families of great wealth or royalty, in fact. And if you decree that they can have no family to leave their wealth to, That wealth comes to the church.

Well, if you decree that priests can't marry, they can't have kids, the money goes to the church. And over the history of the church, many priests, many bishops had come from families of great wealth or royalty, in fact. And if you decree that they can have no family to leave their wealth to, That wealth comes to the church.

So Gregory's decision promised a vast new source of income for the church.

So Gregory's decision promised a vast new source of income for the church.

So Gregory's decision promised a vast new source of income for the church.

Certainly in the last 150 years, there's been a true crisis created by the shortage of priests. Many priests, especially beginning in the 1950s and 1960s, decided they couldn't live this life of celibacy and they left to marry and have families. And there are stories told about huge stretches of South America, for example, where

Certainly in the last 150 years, there's been a true crisis created by the shortage of priests. Many priests, especially beginning in the 1950s and 1960s, decided they couldn't live this life of celibacy and they left to marry and have families. And there are stories told about huge stretches of South America, for example, where

Certainly in the last 150 years, there's been a true crisis created by the shortage of priests. Many priests, especially beginning in the 1950s and 1960s, decided they couldn't live this life of celibacy and they left to marry and have families. And there are stories told about huge stretches of South America, for example, where

where there simply were no priests, that Catholics who wanted to make a confession or who needed to organize a funeral or a christening, there was no priest to help them. And there was pressure at the Second Vatican Council to eliminate the doctrine of priestly celibacy, to allow priests to begin to marry, to encourage more men to enter the priesthood.

where there simply were no priests, that Catholics who wanted to make a confession or who needed to organize a funeral or a christening, there was no priest to help them. And there was pressure at the Second Vatican Council to eliminate the doctrine of priestly celibacy, to allow priests to begin to marry, to encourage more men to enter the priesthood.

where there simply were no priests, that Catholics who wanted to make a confession or who needed to organize a funeral or a christening, there was no priest to help them. And there was pressure at the Second Vatican Council to eliminate the doctrine of priestly celibacy, to allow priests to begin to marry, to encourage more men to enter the priesthood.

Well, for generations, for centuries, you know, Catholics understandably wanted to control the size of their families. But the church opposed birth control and put that into writing in the 1930s, the pope at the time. decreed that birth control was a sin and therefore was banned for all Catholics.

Well, for generations, for centuries, you know, Catholics understandably wanted to control the size of their families. But the church opposed birth control and put that into writing in the 1930s, the pope at the time. decreed that birth control was a sin and therefore was banned for all Catholics.

Well, for generations, for centuries, you know, Catholics understandably wanted to control the size of their families. But the church opposed birth control and put that into writing in the 1930s, the pope at the time. decreed that birth control was a sin and therefore was banned for all Catholics.

And that was issued in response to what was the sudden availability of reliable birth control in the form of latex condoms. And priests at the time were And in the decades that followed, commonly heard from women and from married couples that this was a terrible burden on them. They needed to be able to control the size of their families. They needed to be able to feed the kids they already had.

And that was issued in response to what was the sudden availability of reliable birth control in the form of latex condoms. And priests at the time were And in the decades that followed, commonly heard from women and from married couples that this was a terrible burden on them. They needed to be able to control the size of their families. They needed to be able to feed the kids they already had.

And that was issued in response to what was the sudden availability of reliable birth control in the form of latex condoms. And priests at the time were And in the decades that followed, commonly heard from women and from married couples that this was a terrible burden on them. They needed to be able to control the size of their families. They needed to be able to feed the kids they already had.

And theologians will tell you there's actually not much justification for the ban. The New Testament says almost nothing about birth control. And by the time the Second Vatican Council was underway, there were many priests who intended to make sure that the ban on birth control was lifted. It remains in effect today, remarkably enough.

And theologians will tell you there's actually not much justification for the ban. The New Testament says almost nothing about birth control. And by the time the Second Vatican Council was underway, there were many priests who intended to make sure that the ban on birth control was lifted. It remains in effect today, remarkably enough.