Clerical Celibacy in the Early Church

Why does the Catholic Church require celibacy of its priests?  Was this  discipline an imposition of the medieval Church, or is there a basis for  this discipline in the Early Church?  This episode of Controversies in Church considers these questions, and examines what the Church's practice of celibacy in its earliest days and how it came to be made mandatory for priests in the Western Church--though not for the East.  Please subscribe to our podcast on Anchor and check out Controversies in Church History on our other platforms. LINKS: YouTube Website SOCIAL: Facebook Twitter