WI: Priests/Popes could marry?

I am not sure if there would be papal dynasty. System might invent way to avoid that.

There were papal dynasties already in OTL. They even invented the office of Cardinal-Nephew to allow for that. Alexander VI even went as far as to legitimize his son Cesare and make him Cardinal.
 
Nonsense. With an infant mortality of 50% and a wife mortality close to 10% you need a miracle (well many of them) to have 10 living children before 1930!

Wow! Having founded a hypothesis on Law & Order, it seems clear that this is a hypothesis ad absurdum :D:D:D
 
Priests in the Western Church often did marry, at least up until the 11th century (and after that, concubinage was widely practiced, but you didn't ask about that).

The papal reform movement, beginning with Pope Leo IX, had as one of its aims the removal of clerical marriage as part of a wider effort to enforce central papal control over the Church, given how regional bishops before this had pretty much autonomy from Rome and rites varied from place to place. Milan was a big example of this: the cult of Saint Ambrose had a lot of local traditions that the Roman traditions didn't recognise, and one of these was clerical marriage.

If you want clerical marriage to continue...butterfly away the papal reform movement. No Leo IX, no Nicholas II, no Stephen IX, no Alexander II, and definitely no Gregory VII. Take away the strong centralising tendencies of these popes, you take away their support of regional reforming movements (like the Patarini in Milan). Without those, likely the church would continue as a 'federation' of regional churches with the Pope simply being an authority on canon law and Bishop of Rome. And in such a structure, you'd probably have wide variety: some regional churches would keep clerical marriage, others wouldn't...
 
The idea of unmarried clergy is pretty much only in Roman Catholicism and even that is relatively modern. Now, in the Middle Ages there was a religious order of sorts called Beguines and Beghards. They lived as monks and nuns except they could marry and retain property. And that was repressed in the Late Middle Ages.
 
Seeing that they are all Men allowing them to marry would either mean the Church accepts homosexuality and Gay Marriage as being alright or allows Women to enter the Clergy, Maybe both

If this were to happen Pope Frank gets the Best Pope Evah award

They don't have to marry with other clergy.
 
The idea of unmarried clergy is pretty much only in Roman Catholicism and even that is relatively modern. Now, in the Middle Ages there was a religious order of sorts called Beguines and Beghards. They lived as monks and nuns except they could marry and retain property. And that was repressed in the Late Middle Ages.

Yeah, the Roman Curia was generally quite unhappy with them all along, although not always actively persecuting. However, they were not technically priests.

The blanket ban on marriage for ordained priests exists in principle, IIRC, from mid-eleventh century onwards. It is important to note that it was never a matter of doctrine strictly speaking (although it is justified in reference to Scripture) but of discipline alone (therefore exceptions are allowed on grounds of tradition for Eastern Churches of Roman obedience).
The ban was rarely enforced prior to the Fourth Lateran Council (1215) which reiterated and strengthened it, timidly trying something approaching enforcement. However, until the Council of Trent, almost three centuries and half later, it was commonplace for priests, especially in rural areas, to have "marriages", as in, stable female partners who lived with them, with the flock being aware, (and quite happy, often) about it. It was not recognized though.
All along, however, and from relatively early on, bishops could not marry (which is also the case for Orthodox Churches; therefore, bishops tended to be monks, who also, of course, were bound to celibacy roughly from the start)
Now, the Catholic blanket ban is divisive, setting Rome apart from both the East and the Reformed Churches (and it is also controversial among Catholics in recent times). So priests allowed to marry are one less reason of division within Christianity. On the other hand, this means that the Pope has overall less control.

If bishops are allowed to marry, on the other hand, you'd quickly see dynasties in Western Europe. There would be a lot less separation of the temporal and spiritual realms, with many bishoprics turning into dynastic petty kingdoms, and kings being ordained as priests. Endgame is local churches with only modest, if any, central control. Recall that, while the Roman Church was a meritocracy in principle even in the Middle Ages, the top brass was almost invariably recruited among nobility. The "meritocratic" aspect would probably survive very poorly if at all in context where priests an marry and their sons can inherit.
 
Married pope

I'd point out that the pope does not need to be a priest before elected, any male catholic is eligible. So, at least in theory, someone already married can be elected a pope, even today. But since he will become a bishop, he probably cannot marry afterwards.
 
I'd point out that the pope does not need to be a priest before elected, any male catholic is eligible. So, at least in theory, someone already married can be elected a pope, even today. But since he will become a bishop, he probably cannot marry afterwards.

Technically, but I think that pre-existing marriage prevents being ordained bishop.
 
Technically, but I think that pre-existing marriage prevents being ordained bishop.


I believe, if a bishop consecrates a man a bishop meaning to make him a bishop within catholic ritual, the man is a bishop. Now whether the consecration was illicit, it is, is a different matter but Apostolic succession is preserved. I might be wrong, i am no theologian of catholic or any faith.

add on: From the little research I did the catholic church accept the holy order of the church of sweden as valid, and their bishops can marry. Therefore, if that is true then you can have a married bishop, it is just illicit.
 
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If bishops are allowed to marry, on the other hand, you'd quickly see dynasties in Western Europe.

Before the Council of Trent, especially, but also after, it was not so difficult "to keep" in family the properties ecclesial. And without marriage of priests, or to be a "papal" dynasty, or regal or princely :D:D:D
For example, the family Campeggi has held the diocese of Feltre from 1512 to 1584, and Bologna from 1523 to 1563.
A. Giovanni Zaccaria (1448–1511)
A1. Lorenzo (1474–1539), widower, he began his ecclesiastical career
Bishop of Feltre (1512–1520)
Cardinal (1517)
Archbishop of Bologna (1523–1525)
Apostolic administrator of the diocese of Salisbury, Huesca and Jaca, Parenzo (succeeding his uncle Girolamo) and Candia
A1.1. Alessandro (1504–1554)
Archbishop of Bologna (1526–1553)
Cardinal (1551), etc.
A1.2. Giovanni Battista (1507–1583)
Bishop of di Mallorca (1532–1558), etc.
A2. Antonio Maria (1474–1558)
Senator in Bologna, etc.
A2.1. Filippo Maria (1518–1584)
Coadjutor Bishop of Feltre with right of succession (1546)
Bishop of Feltre (1559–1584), after the resignation of his uncle Tommaso; etc.
A2.2. Giovanni
Bishop of Parenzo (1537–1553)
Archbishop of Bologna (1553–1563), etc.
A2.3. Vincenzo (1517–1588)
Senator in Bologna, etc.
A2.3.1. Lorenzo (1547–1585)
Apostolic Nuncio in Naples and in Venice
Bishop of Cervia (1582–1585), etc.
A3. Tommaso (1481–1564)
Bishop of Feltre, after the resignation of his brother, (1520–1559), etc.
A4. Marco Antonio (+1553)
Bishop of Grosseto (1528–1553), etc.
A5. Bartolomeo, Captain in the armies of Charles V
A5.1. Camillo
Dominican (O.P.), Inquisitor in Ferrara and Mantova, then theologian of Pius IV.
Bishop of Sutri and Nepi (1568–1569), etc.
B. Ludovico(iusse)
C.
Girolamo (1461–1534)
Bishop of Parenzo
(1516–1533), etc.

 
Before the Council of Trent, especially, but also after, it was not so difficult "to keep" in family the properties ecclesial. And without marriage of priests, or to be a "papal" dynasty, or regal or princely :D:D:D
For example, the family Campeggi has held the diocese of Feltre from 1512 to 1584, and Bologna from 1523 to 1563.
A. Giovanni Zaccaria (1448–1511)
A1. Lorenzo (1474–1539), widower, he began his ecclesiastical career
Bishop of Feltre (1512–1520)
Cardinal (1517)
Archbishop of Bologna (1523–1525)
Apostolic administrator of the diocese of Salisbury, Huesca and Jaca, Parenzo (succeeding his uncle Girolamo) and Candia
A1.1. Alessandro (1504–1554)
Archbishop of Bologna (1526–1553)
Cardinal (1551), etc.
A1.2. Giovanni Battista (1507–1583)
Bishop of di Mallorca (1532–1558), etc.
A2. Antonio Maria (1474–1558)
Senator in Bologna, etc.
A2.1. Filippo Maria (1518–1584)
Coadjutor Bishop of Feltre with right of succession (1546)
Bishop of Feltre (1559–1584), after the resignation of his uncle Tommaso; etc.
A2.2. Giovanni
Bishop of Parenzo (1537–1553)
Archbishop of Bologna (1553–1563), etc.
A2.3. Vincenzo (1517–1588)
Senator in Bologna, etc.
A2.3.1. Lorenzo (1547–1585)
Apostolic Nuncio in Naples and in Venice
Bishop of Cervia (1582–1585), etc.
A3. Tommaso (1481–1564)
Bishop of Feltre, after the resignation of his brother, (1520–1559), etc.
A4. Marco Antonio (+1553)
Bishop of Grosseto (1528–1553), etc.
A5. Bartolomeo, Captain in the armies of Charles V
A5.1. Camillo
Dominican (O.P.), Inquisitor in Ferrara and Mantova, then theologian of Pius IV.
Bishop of Sutri and Nepi (1568–1569), etc.
B. Ludovico(iusse)
C.
Girolamo (1461–1534)
Bishop of Parenzo
(1516–1533), etc.


Sure. If bishops can also marry, it would be even easier and more stable.
 
There were papal dynasties already in OTL. They even invented the office of Cardinal-Nephew to allow for that. Alexander VI even went as far as to legitimize his son Cesare and make him Cardinal.

Yeah, the Church showed some pretty clear dynastic tendencies for a long time. I'd argue that in a society were hereditary position is all important for status, this is quite expected.
I'd also go on to say that the man on priestly marriage was precisely the mechanism created to restrain those tendencies. And it was probably as effective as needed.
 
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