Handout #107

The priest and marriage

 Paul chose not to be married so as to be more available for the service of the gospel 1 Cor.7:7; 9:5), but he did not make this a general rule. The only prescription in scripture about the marriage of a minister of the church is in I Tim. 3 -.2; Titus 1:6: 'The episkopos must be the husband of one woman. The patristic tradition interpreted this passage as a prohibition against conferring ordination on a man who had married twice, and a prohibition against a widowed priest remarrying. Some fathers also thought that it was an obligation on bishops to marry.

The first three centuries

No law in West or East prohibited the ordination of married men, nor required married priests to abstain from sexual intercourse. Similarly, there seemed to be no objection to a priest who was celibate at the time of his ordination subsequently marrying. However, the importance attached to asceticism and virginity suggested that it was more perfect for a priest to remain celibate, or to abstain from sexual intercourse if he was married.

The fourth century

In both East and West marriage was prohibited, after ordination. Anyone who was married remained so after ordination. The celibate remained celibate. Each had to be faithful to the first bond he contracted, marriage or ordination.

At the beginning of the century, the majority of clergy exercised their marital rights. At the end of the century, the clergy who abstained from sexual intercourse were in the majority. We find two explanations for this: greater availability to God, and the incompatibility of engaging in sex, which was thought to be impure, with the daily celebration of the eucharist.

In the West (Spain and Rome), councils required the conjugal abstinence of bishops, priests and deacons.

The fifth century

In the East, bishops, priests and deacons could still marry. In the West, the Bishop of Rome required all the churches to demand conjugal abstinence of bishops, priests and deacons, but they could continue to cohabit with their spouses.

The seventh century

In the East, the church finally fixed its discipline concerning clergy and marriage (692 A.D.). It is still the same today. A married man who is chosen as bishop must separate from his wife. He must leave his home and go to live in a distant monastery. The bishop must provide for the needs of his spouse. However, increasingly bishops were chosen from among monks.

Those priests, and deacons who were married at the time of their ordination did not change their married life in any way. Practice to the contrary was even condemned.

In the West marital abstinence by the clergy was reinforced: one council wanted to introduce a watchman into the bedrooms of clergy. Sanctions were taken councils against those who had a child after ordination.

From Charlemagne to the eleventh century

Married men who practiced conjugal abstinence while living with their wives were still ordained. However, young celibate clergy trained in the schools were ordained without having been married. Despite the prohibition, some married after ordination. That is the situation which Gregory VII found in 1073 A.D.

The Gregorian reform

In 1074 A.D. Gregory VII no longer distinguished between priests, who were married before ordination, and priests who were married afterwards. All cohabitation was proscribed on pain of being banned from the ministry. There was resistance to the pontifical decision: 'This law is intolerable and unreasonable. "Without the aid of women's hands we shall die of cold and nakedness... Some regarded this law a novelty as compared with tradition. However, although it was illegal, the marriage of priests was considered valid.

The Second Lateran Council (1139 A.D.) decided that the marriage of priests is invalid. In 1170 A.D., Pope Alexander III required that the wife of a married man ordained priest should first give her consent and should herself take a vow of chastity.

In law it was still possible to ordain a married man who had left his wife. In practice, it was very difficult; the priesthood was in effect restricted to celibates and widowers. However, it was not until the Code of Canon Law of 1917 A.D. that it was said that marriage is an impediment to orders and thus the law of ecclesiastical celibacy, was explicitly imposed. After M. Dortel-Claudot, etat de vie et rule du pretre,Paris 1971, 43-90.

Return to Text