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In ancient Israel the priests were a special people set apart by God's revealed directives. The priests were drawn from descendants of Aaron and were members of the tribe of Levy. They were not allowed to own land or serve as civil or military leaders . They lived ....

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.... obtain a fair hearing of his grievance according to the Canon Law. The churches were "places of refuge" where a fugitive could be safe until a proper Canon Law Court could hear his case. Priests were a class apart. They did not marry; they took vows of chastity and obedience to the bishop and Pope. Many even took vows of poverty. Most important, priests were not allowed to accept positions of temporal leadership. No matter how "high born", priests were not authorized to serve as a king, duke or baron. They might aspire to the office of abbot, bishop, cardinal or even Pope, but their influence over the hearts and minds of the people rested on their ....