We all have stake in Church property

A NUMBER of recent letters to your paper have repeated the oft-made accusation (for so it is intended) that the Catholic church “came up” with the idea of celibacy to protect its property interests.

The aim here is to conjure up the image of a miserly cabal of old men imposing unreasonable and unnatural demands on its clergy simply to add a few pence more to the till; as if the Catholic church were just a giant commercial enterprise.

First of all, there were many reasons for celibacy — it was seen (and still is in some quarters, and not only Catholic) as a way to a higher spiritual life; it allowed clergy to completely focus their energies on the communities they served without the conflicting demands of family; and yes, property was an issue. But who do the critics think “Church property” belongs to? Church authorities may hold the actual title deeds, but the Church itself is made up of millions of lay people as well as the clergy and hierarchy, all of whom have a stake in its “property”.