Imperial church system
The imperial church system (German: Reichskirchensystem, Dutch: rijkskerkenstelsel) was a governance policy by the early Holy Roman emperors to entrust the secular governance of the state to as many celibate members of the clergy (especially bishops and abbots) of the Catholic Church as possible instead of to the non-celibate laity. Rulers did this because celibate clergymen could not produce legitimate heirs who could claim their inheritance at death, and thus not establish regional dynasties that could threaten the power of the ruling family.