Program Schedule: The Value of Historical Work

Eunuchs for the Kingdom of Heaven: Rethinking Clerical Celibacy and the Gregorian Reform

Charles Carroll, University of Massachusetts Boston

Description

Among the many valuable aspects of historical work is that a thorough analysis of a particular historical topic can help to substantiate and contextualize an ongoing debate in contemporary society. This paper seeks to contextualize the debate over clerical celibacy in the Catholic Church, a discussion which has been catalyzed by the clerical sex abuse scandals which became public beginning in the 1980s.

It was during the papacy of Gregory VII (r. 1073-1085) that emerged the first systematic, vigorous enforcement of clerical celibacy upon the secular clergy as opposed to the former requirement of sexual continence. Hitherto in Latin Christendom, the requirement of celibacy was imposed solely on the regular clergy. The secular clergy was required to remain sexually continent, albeit in theory more than practice. The Gregorian Reform introduced a significant change in this policy. In this paper I examine how the strategic move from the ancient requirement of continence to the new requirement of celibacy on the secular clergy was part of the reformist pope’s greater agenda to ameliorate the sanctity and moral status of the clergy, thus creating a clerical caste which could enact greater authority upon the Christian laity.The paper demonstrates that the change was less about the sexual purity of the priesthood and more about creating an unassailable distinction between the sacred and the profane.

 
Mar 31st, 11:15 AM Mar 31st, 1:00 PM

Eunuchs for the Kingdom of Heaven: Rethinking Clerical Celibacy and the Gregorian Reform

Among the many valuable aspects of historical work is that a thorough analysis of a particular historical topic can help to substantiate and contextualize an ongoing debate in contemporary society. This paper seeks to contextualize the debate over clerical celibacy in the Catholic Church, a discussion which has been catalyzed by the clerical sex abuse scandals which became public beginning in the 1980s.

It was during the papacy of Gregory VII (r. 1073-1085) that emerged the first systematic, vigorous enforcement of clerical celibacy upon the secular clergy as opposed to the former requirement of sexual continence. Hitherto in Latin Christendom, the requirement of celibacy was imposed solely on the regular clergy. The secular clergy was required to remain sexually continent, albeit in theory more than practice. The Gregorian Reform introduced a significant change in this policy. In this paper I examine how the strategic move from the ancient requirement of continence to the new requirement of celibacy on the secular clergy was part of the reformist pope’s greater agenda to ameliorate the sanctity and moral status of the clergy, thus creating a clerical caste which could enact greater authority upon the Christian laity.The paper demonstrates that the change was less about the sexual purity of the priesthood and more about creating an unassailable distinction between the sacred and the profane.