I was a lot earlier than 200 years ago.
A lot of it had to do with European inheritance laws.
If a man who was going for the preist-hood came from a landed family or had wealth, when he died, all of his property got taken by the Church.
Same thing with girls who entered the Sisterhood.: if they had a dowery, it became the property of the Church.
Simple Money and Land grab.
Your understanding of the situation is straight from the Protestant playbook.
Thanks for your assistance--but no thanks.
>>Simple Money and Land grab.<<
Wow! That Catholic Church, EVIL it is!!!
Why shouldn't the money these people had go to whatever order they went into. Who do you think fed them and kept them for years? Manna from heaven fell into the Abbies or Convents?????
Nothing is simple in God's eyes. There are Biblical reasons why Priests and Nuns do not marry, but in a world where Catholics are fair game, it MUST have to do with Greed.