Which Best Explains Why the Church Became the Largest Property

Multiple Choice

Which best explains why the church became the largest property owner in the cities?

A) Most cities were built on church lands.
B) The church had always been a predominantly urban institution: pagan originally meant country dwellers.
C) To balance the rising power of townspeople, the nobles often reserved large tracts of land in the town for the clergy.
D) Businessmen made large contributions to the church out of guilt for pursuing wealth.
E) The church actively bought up city plots as a lucrative investment.