They were thinking they better cover their butts or they wouldn't be able to ...

preserve their finances, their way of life and their heirarchy of power.

Which is exactly why they instituted celibacy in the first place. They didn't want the offspring of priests to claim any inheritance from the church. Its all about financial security and the preservation of the Vatican. The Vatican has been corrupt for a very long time.

That is not to say all Catholics are corrupt. Misguided would be a more polite way of describing those who adhere to the doctrine of the Roman Catholic Church.