When did it become against the rules for priests to marry?

Question

I heard that this was more church politics than doctrine, so when did the rule get set down?

Answer 1

http://www.catholiceducation.org/articles/apologetics/ap0121.html
Why are Catholic priests not allowed to marry?

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A: Although the early Church allowed married clergy, the Church later came to see celibacy as a better example of the norm and model of Jesus’ priesthood.

In referring to celibacy, St. Paul says: "Indeed, I wish everyone to be as I am, but each has a particular gift from God . . .Now to the unmarried and to widows I say: it is a good thing for them to remain as they are, as I do" (1 Cor. 7:7-8). He goes on to say: "An unmarried man is anxious about the things of the Lord, how he may please the Lord. But a married man is anxious about the things of the world, how he may please his wife, and he is divided" (1 Cor. 7:32-34).

Jesus said: "And everyone who has given up houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or lands for the sake of my name will receive a hundred times more, and will inherit eternal life" (Mt. 19:29).

Celibacy is a discipline, not a dogma. This means that the Church could change the rule. In fact, there are a few instances when the Church has allowed married clergy, such as with some Eastern rite clergy and in the case of some Protestant ministers who converted to the Faith. These, however, are the exception.

It is unlikely that the Church will change this teaching at all, or any time soon, because of the many positive and practical benefits of celibacy. Here are 10 reasons why a celibate clergy makes good sense:

It leaves the priest free to more fully commit his life to the service of the Lord and the laity.

The Church has found it is better to keep priests moving from parish to parish every few years, perhaps for a few reasons, including the desire to prevent a cult of personality from building around a particular priest. This situation can put too much focus on the man rather than on the Gospel message. So, the Church prudently moves priests around. Can you imagine how much stress it would cause a priest to have to move his wife and family each time he is assigned to a new parish? Having a celibate priesthood also enables the bishop the full flexibility he needs to move priests around.

To be able to lay his life down for his flock. Because a celibate priest does not have the obligation of a wife and children, he can give of himself more easily, including his own life, if necessary. For example, Blessed Damien de Veuster of Belgium was able to work with lepers on the island of Molokai, Hawaii, because of the freedom he had in being a celibate minister. This work eventually led to his contracting and dying from leprosy.

It is a sign of contradiction and a great Christian witness to our society, which is flooded with sexually permissive messages. Celibacy surely gains the Catholic clergy a hidden respect from many people.

It gives the priest greater credibility when he asks the laity to make sacrifices, because the laity knows that celibacy involves sacrifice.

It helps the priest master his passions amd also gives him more time for prayer, which is the lifeblood of any ministry.

It enables a priest to be more objective when counseling married couples. Because he is not married, he is not going to project any personal marriage problems or biases onto the the couple he is counseling.

In many cases it enables the priest to be a "spiritual father" to more people than he would as a married man (1 Cor. 4:15).

It allows the Church to put the hundreds of millions of dollars it saves in priestly salaries to the evangelization and charitable assistance of a needy world. Although priests do receive salaries, they are much lower than they would have to be if they had families to support.

It’s a foreshadowing that there will be no marriage in heaven (Mt. 22:30).
No one is required to live a permanently celibate life (Mt. 19:12). The Church says that people are free to marry. In fact, the Church glorifies the married state. Only if one wants to become a priest, brother, or religious sister does he or she have to live a celibate life. The religious life, and the requirements that come with it, do not have to be chosen by anyone. However, when it is chosen, it needs to be followed in the manner our Lord and His Church requires.

Sure, celibacy can be difficult, especially in this sexually permissive age. But if a priest has good seminary formation that strongly supports celibacy and if he stays close to our Lord in prayer, he will be able to turn this sacrifice into a wonderful aid to his work.



ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

Matthew Pinto "Why are Catholic priests not allowed to marry?" Apologetics: "Question of the Week" Ascension Press.

Answer 2

Priests do not marry. But you may know a Catholic priest who is married, for there are divisions of the Catholic Church where married men are ordained.
To understand this, which very likely seems to you to be a contradiction, you must know that celibacy of the clergy is a disciplinary regulation in the Western division of the Church. It is not a dogma, something universally proclaimed by the Church as an act of faith. Disciplinary regulations may be applied to one, two or more sections of the Church, and they are subject to change by the Pope or the Congregations through which the orders or decisions of the Church
are issued and carried out. On the other hand, a dogma applies to the whole Church during all time. A dogma is unchangeable.

The disciplinary requirement of celibacy does not apply to the oriental part of the Catholic Church. Married men are ordained therein; but in the event of death of the wife, the priest cannot contract another marriage. Besides, married priests are not elevated to the episcopacy of the Oriental Church.

As for ministers, they are not subject, nor intended to be subject to the discipline of the Catholic Church. And priests do not pattern their ministerial life by the marital or any other standard or regulations of the Protestant clergy. Yet this may be said without offense, the usefulness of a celibate clergy far exceeds the usefulness of a married clergy, as some of the foremost Protestant clergymen have noted. Our Lord's statement—"Let him accept it (the life of a spiritual eunuch) who can" (St. Matt. 19:12) was no doubt in the mind of St. Paul when he declared celibacy to be more suitable for Christ's ministry than a married clergy:


"He who is unmarried is concerned about the things oi the Lord, how he may please God. Whereas he who is married thinks about the things of the world, how he may please his wife; and he is divided" (1. Cor. 7:32-33).

Answer 3

Your question leaves some loose ends. Okay - 11 men were married before becoming pope. Did they divorce? That seems to be the crux of the matter. If their wives died and they were widowers, then there was no divorce involved.