Church History · 1123 and 1139

The Lateran Councils and Priestly Celibacy

At the First Lateran Council in 1123 and the Second in 1139, the Western church declared that priests, deacons and subdeacons could not marry. Celibacy had been encouraged for centuries, but these councils made it firm church law in the West, while Eastern churches kept married priests.

Read it in the Bible: Mark 1:30 1 Corinthians 9:5 1 Timothy 3:2 1 Corinthians 7:32-33 Matthew 19:12

The rule that Catholic priests in the Western church must be unmarried became firm church law at two councils held at the Lateran palace in Rome. The First Lateran Council in 1123 forbade priests, deacons and subdeacons to marry or keep concubines. The Second Lateran Council in 1139 repeated this and declared such marriages invalid. Celibacy had been honored and encouraged for many centuries before that, but these councils made it the clear rule for the Latin church. Eastern churches, both Orthodox and Eastern Catholic, still allow married men to become priests.

Were the Apostles Married?

At least one was. Peter had a wife, because the Gospels mention his mother in law.

Simon's mother-in-law was sick in bed with a fever, and they promptly told Jesus about her. Mark 1:30

Paul also says that Peter, called Cephas, and other apostles traveled with their wives.

Have we no right to take along a believing wife, as do the other apostles and the Lord's brothers and Cephas? 1 Corinthians 9:5

Paul's rules for church leaders say an overseer must be the husband of one wife, in 1 Timothy 3:2. At the same time, Paul himself was single, Jesus never married, and both spoke highly of a single life given to God. So from the start, the Bible honored both paths.

When Did Celibacy for Priests Begin?

It happened slowly. Around the year 305, a local council in Spain, the Council of Elvira, told married clergy to abstain from relations with their wives. Over the next centuries, Western popes and councils pushed more and more for clergy to be unmarried or to live in continence. But practice varied a lot from place to place. In the 900s and 1000s, many parish priests in the West were married, and some passed their churches down to their sons like family businesses.

In the late 1000s, reformers led by Pope Gregory VII pushed hard against this. They wanted clergy set apart, free from family politics, and focused on the church. You can read about that era in the article on the cardinals and Gregory VII.

What Did the First and Second Lateran Councils Decide?

The First Lateran Council met in March 1123 under Pope Callistus II, with about 300 bishops. Its canons barred priests, deacons, subdeacons and monks from marrying or keeping concubines, and said marriages they had contracted should be broken off, with penance.

The Second Lateran Council met in April 1139 under Pope Innocent II, with close to a thousand church leaders. It repeated the ban and stated that such marriages were not true marriages at all. From then on, in the Latin church, being ordained a priest and being married did not go together.

Why Do Catholics Have Celibate Priests?

Catholics give several reasons, and they are worth hearing fairly.

Undivided devotion. Paul taught that an unmarried person can focus fully on the Lord's work.
Following Jesus. Jesus Himself was unmarried, and He spoke of some who give up marriage for the sake of the kingdom, in Matthew 19:12.
A sign of heaven. Jesus said that in the resurrection people do not marry. Celibate priests are seen as a living sign of that future.
Freedom to serve. A priest without a family can be moved where he is needed and give his time to his people.

I want you to be free from concern. The unmarried man is concerned about the work of the Lord, how he can please the Lord. But the married man is concerned about the affairs of this world, how he can please his wife, 1 Corinthians 7:32 to 33

The Catholic Church also teaches that priestly celibacy is a discipline, a church rule, rather than a doctrine of faith. That means it could in principle change. Since the 1980s, the Catholic Church has allowed some married former Protestant ministers, especially Anglicans and Lutherans, to be ordained Catholic priests after they joined the church.

Why Can Eastern Orthodox Priests Marry?

The Eastern churches kept the older custom. A married man may be ordained a deacon or priest, but a man who is already ordained may not then marry. Bishops are chosen from unmarried clergy, usually monks. This was confirmed by the Council in Trullo in 692, which openly disagreed with the Roman practice. See the article on the Council in Trullo. Eastern Catholic churches, which are in union with Rome, also have married priests.

What Did the Reformers Say?

The Protestant reformers rejected required celibacy. They pointed to Peter, to 1 Timothy 3:2, and to the many scandals of the late medieval clergy. Martin Luther, a former monk, married a former nun, Katharina von Bora, in 1525. Their home became a model for the Protestant pastor's family. Today most Protestant pastors are free to marry, and many Protestants also honor those who choose to stay single for ministry.

Why It Matters for You Today

Whether you are married or single, the Bible says your life can be fully given to God. Jesus did not make one path holy and the other second class. He asked for the whole heart, whatever your situation.

For there are eunuchs who were born that way; others were made that way by men; and still others live like eunuchs for the sake of the kingdom of heaven. The one who can accept this should accept it. Matthew 19:12

Catholic, Orthodox and Protestant Christians answer the question of married priests differently, but they share the same goal, leaders who love Jesus and serve His people with all they have.

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Questions People Ask

When did the Catholic Church require priests to be celibate?

Celibacy was encouraged for centuries, but it became firm law for the Western church at the First Lateran Council in 1123 and the Second Lateran Council in 1139. The 1139 council declared that marriages attempted by priests were not valid.

Was the apostle Peter married?

Yes. Mark 1:30 mentions Peter's mother in law, and 1 Corinthians 9:5 says Peter, called Cephas, traveled with a believing wife.

Can Orthodox priests marry?

A married man can be ordained an Orthodox deacon or priest, but he cannot marry after ordination. Orthodox bishops must be unmarried and are usually chosen from monks.

Are there married Catholic priests?

Yes. Eastern Catholic churches have married priests, and since the 1980s the Catholic Church has allowed some married former Protestant ministers, especially Anglicans, to become priests after converting.

Sources

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