< Religions, by and large exist for two purposes; their own continuance and to falsely try and convince man that he (man) is somehow able to make himself better. The job and duty of religions is to make man better. />

There is another reason, Control. What better way to rein the people in then to make yourself an agent of God? Remember Pope Leo? He’s the one who lived inside a ring of fire to protect himself from the Plague. Odd that God’s chosen representative would need protection form the plague. And yet people, indeed even nations followed him and his church blindly.