The law of celibacy has never been so strin gently applied in the East as in the \Vest. Soc rates (450) states that the same law of eelthaes which prevailed among the Latins also obtained in Macedonia, and Achaia. In (120 the Trillion Synod enacted a decree which required married bishops to separate from their wives and forbade all clerics to marry after entering upon the subdiaeonate. In the Ninth Century a law of Leo the Wise permitted subdeaeons. deacons. and priests who had married after receiving or ders to remain in the rank, of the clergy. hut not to exercise any functions pertaining to their office save in matters of administration. The Russian Church has modified the ancient Greek canons prohibiting and deacons from marrying after ordination. Up to the time of Peter the Great a priestly widower was obliged to enter a monastery. but this monarch allowed a second marriage. and permitted the man to be employed in a seminary or episcopal chancery. Among the United Greeks. Ruthenians. Maronites. and such other followers of the Oriental in communion with Rome. the following is the dis cipline: (1) A bishop cannot, after tion, "ither marry again or cohabit with the wife married before ordination. If he has a wife liv ing she must retire to a distant nunnery, and there he supported by her late husband. (2) Priests and deacons may, in accordance with the Trullan canon, keep the wives taken before their ordination, hut they most abstain from marital intercourse for sonic time before offi.ciating at the altar. Pope Clement VIII. (1592-1605) ordered this abstinence to be if possible seven, or at least for three days. (:31 Priests and deacons cannot marry after ordination. Snell was the decree of Benedict XIV. issued May 6, 1742. Any such attempt at marriage was pronounced null and void. lint in the easy of converts from schism who were already in holy orders. the same pontiff decreed that the Holy See might permit the retention of a wife taken after ordinal ion.
Celibacy has no doctrinal bearing in the Ro man Catholic Chureb. and is regarded as purely a disciplinary law, though as of prime im penance in maintaining the ellaracter and dig, city of the priest hood. Ititen a di•pettsatima
(q.v.) front the obligation of celibacy has been aceotded to ecclesiastics under exceptional ,.ir ClInistallti•N, which s1.1.111P11 to warrant a depar ture from the general Ian. These circumstances were very often connected nith the necessity of heirs: tor noble families which were in danger of becoming extinct. .kinong others. the following may mentioned: In 1040, Item edict IN. dispensed Casimir. a monk of Cluny. for the sake of the Polish stweession. (laughter of King Roger of sb•ily. was dispensed from her vows as a min by t'elestine Ill. in 1191• in (miler to marry the Emocror llettry VI. In Ints Innocent N. dispensed a Jesuit father, -loin' asitnir. who lid been elected of Poland. from the obligation of celilmey in order again to preserve the succession. In modern (lays the only instanee of a validation of priestly marriages is that by Pius VII. in the case nt the French on stifulionads the priests who had accepted the civil constitution of the clergy and for a lime had been practically separated from llome re •eiving back into regularity. on their submis sion. those had married (iring. the IZevolit t 1)ispensat ions are quite numerous in cases of persons belonging to the military relig ious orders.
The rule has been, especially gluey the Refor mation. consistently rejected by those who sep arated themselves front the Roman Catholic com munion. Luther set the example to his followers by a former and both the mat riage of ministers and the abolition of monastie vows became a common feature of those bodies which threw off their allegiance to Rome. the Church of England in its articles of religion laid down the proposition that priests, and deacons are not commanded by I;od's law. either to vow the estate of single life, or to abstain from marriage: therefore it is lawful for them. as for all other Christian men, to marry at their own discretion. as they shall judge the same to serve better 1,1 Consult : Za•earia. SI oria pole III ire de/ rclilm to !mem (Thane. )774 \ Selmiitt, PrirNlerriiliba I (11iinster. 1S70) Lea. Historicof RI tlrh of Sacerdotal Celibacy (Philadelphia.