1. Lecture 10: Priestly Celibacy
Dr. Ann T. Orlando

2. Outline Celibacy and the Apostles Understanding 2 Timothy
Move to require celibacy
Virtue of virginity
Assignments

3. The Apostles
Clearly, Peter was married, and perhaps most of the other apostles as well
Patristic authors believe that John was never married, and for this reason he was most beloved by Jesus
Augustine is typical: “…if Christ loved the Apostle John with a special love, it was because he had never married and that form his earliest childhood he practiced the most delicate purity…” Tractates on John’ s Gospel 124.7
Similarly, it was believed that Paul either never married or was a widower
Theodoret, for example: “…he had no wife, either because he had never been married or because he had been widowed…” Interpretation of the Letter to the Philippians 4.3

4. Multiple Ways to Understanding 1 Timothy 2
Bishop cannot remarry if widowed
Bishop cannot have a mistress
Bishop cannot have multiple wives
Bishop must be married
If married, bishop should live chastely
These multiple interpretations are found among Patristic and contemporary scholars

5. Practice of Married Bishops
There are numerous cases of married bishops in the 3rd through 4th C
Example: St. Gregory the Elder who fathered St. Gregory Nazianzus
St. Gregory of Tours describes married bishops in Gaul
But common custom that all ministers at the altar were expected to live chastely (fast from sex) for 24 hours before serving at the altar
True of bishops, presbyters and deacons

6. Chaste (Unmarried or Widowed) Bishops
Strong tradition from 2nd Century for unmarried bishops
In part a practical requirement in places where the bishop celebrated the Eucharist daily
Tradition, based on Leviticus, was that anyone at the altar should have reframed from sex for 2 or 3 days
In part a move toward monastic asceticism
St. Basil the Great
St. John Chrysostom

7. 4th C Effect of Monasticism
Asceticism no longer defined by martyrdom
Monastic rules require celibate life
Increasingly, clerical spirituality developed to model monastic asceticism, including celibacy
Praying the office
Vows of Poverty
Augustine requires his presbyters to live in community with him
Give wealth to the poor
Live chastely

8. Decrees from Church Councils
Canon 3 of Niceae:
The great Synod has stringently forbidden any bishop, presbyter, deacon, or any one of the clergy whatever, to have  subintroducta  (suneisaktos) dwelling with him, except only a mother, or sister, or aunt, or such persons only as are beyond all suspicion.
Would seem to prohibit wives; but was also interpreted as wives who were living chastely with their clerical husband
See Council of Carthage where this becomes more explicit

9. Another Issue: Inheritances
Significant cause of distress from 4th C onwards.
Tradition that the property of bishops, priests and deacons went to the Church at their death
After Constantine, many wealthy Christians join the Church
Wealthy clergy wanted to ensure that at least some of their property went to their children
Thus a problem with distinction between Church property and personal property

10. Innocent I (r. 401-417) Born in Italy Priest in Rome
Unanimously proclaimed pontiff when his predecessor, Anastasius, died
Deeply engage against Manicheans and Arians
Very concerned about consistency and uniformity of disciplinary practices, especially among clergy

11. Pope St. Gregory Great (546-604)
Pontiff from
Wrote many pastoral letters across Europe and the Mediterranean
Especially concerned about conduct and the appearance of good conduct
He cataloged his own works every year
Letter to Subdeacon Peter

12. Office of Subdeacon First mentioned in 3rd C by Pope Cornelius
Office is attested East and West by early 4th C
Subdeacon was meant to support deacons
At altar
In managing property of Church
In many places, a subdeacon was allowed to be married even when this was discouraged among deacons

13. Assignments Origen, Commentary on Matthew, 14.22-25. ANF 9
Theodoret, Commentary on 1 Timothy, II.1-5
17th Council of Carthage, in The Apostolic Origins of Priestly Celibacy, pp
Innocent I Letters
Gregory the Great, “Epistle to Peter Subdeacon of Sicily”. NPNF Series 2 Vol12. Epistles I.44 , pp