Quote Originally Posted by Gistok View Post
I've always wondered how for the first 1,000 years of the 2,000 year history priests WERE allowed to marry... and then "presto-chango"... they no longer are allowed to marry.
I don't know that this is all relevant to the OP's post, but I believe it necessary to correct the record regarding the Catholic Church and its views on priestly marriage. First, although not stated, I believe the comments are directed at "Roman Catholic Church" aka the Latin Rite. It is the case in many Eastern Rites of the Catholic Church, that marriage is allowed.
Second, with respect to the claim that "presto chango" priests were suddenly not free to marry after 1000AD, that is simply false. The discipline of non-married or celibate priests is as old as the Church herself. While early on many priests were married, priests were generally not allowed to get married, i.e, married men could become priests but priests could not get married. Additionally, for the most part the marriage was considered to be only in title once they became priests [[and a large concern was how to ensure the wives would be taken care of). It was for this reason that St. Jerome [[d. 420) said of men who became priests, "even though they may have wives, cease to be husbands". Moreover, St. Epiphanius [[d. 403) described the rule, stating: "[The] Holy Church respects the dignity of the priesthood to such a point that she does not admit to the diaconate, the priesthood, or the episcopate, no nor even to the subdiaconate, anyone still living in marriage and begetting children. She accepts only him who if married gives up his wife or has lost her by death, especially in those places where the ecclesiastical cannons are strictly attended to"

The record is replete with references to, if not abstention from marriage, celibacy once ordained. See Council of Elvira [[303), Cannon 33 [[deacons, priests, and bishops required to be celibate); Council of Nicea, Cannon 3 [[no women beside mother, sister, or aunt can live in the house with an ordained). See also Councils of Agde [[506), Orléans [[538), Tours [[567) [[all prohibiting even those already married from cohabitation with wives); Council of Ancyra, [[314) Neo-Caesarea [[315)[[canons forbidding priest from marrying). But see Council of Trullo [[692)[[forbiding a bishop from marrying after ordination but allowing relations with a spouse from a pre-ordination marriage)[[strain of discipline eventually flowed through to Eastern Rite Catholic Churches). St. Ambrose recognized that by the end of the 4th century, even though some priests in the outlying areas were still married, the many laws forbidding marriage were the general rule.

Indeed, there were deacons, priests, and bishops who may have ignored the discipline during the years, especially between 600-1000AD. However, it was for that reason that Pope Gregory VII in 1075 [[following many previous pronouncements by earlier popes), unequivocally banned non-celibate priests from saying Mass and from all ecclesiastical functions.

I don't believe there has been any meaningful challenge since the late 1000-1200s but, as history demonstrates, it was not a new idea in 1000AD but rather a very old tradition that, at times, was ignored by wayward clergy.