Taking it for Christ since 384 AD when Pope Damascus I decreed priestly celebacy for all.
The real reason for this celebacy was so the church could inherit every priest and nuns inheritances... It's literally fact. Child molestation is just an acceptable byproduct.
quote: " Pope Benedict VIII responded to the decline in priestly morality by issuing a rule prohibiting the children of priests from inheriting property."
Should you wish to dig further, understand that there is a relevant distinction here is that some priests are part of religious communities (e.g., Dominicans, Franciscans, Jesuits, Congregation of Holy Cross, Paulists, Salesians, etc.) and some are diocesan priests whose rules are different.
Strictly in my own personal history, my great uncle was a monk in a benedictine monestary in Washington state. Upon his death, while still in the cloistered community, all his assets were transferred to the church since it occurred without a will or testament. His son was left with his bills and any attempts to regain anything would have required a trip to Rome. Rather fucked up.
A church near where I used to live had a sign up that said "free trips to heaven, details inside." And it always sounded like you'd walk in and just get executed immediately, they kept it up for the whole 2 week rotation (changed the sign every 2 weeks) and I loved every day or it