When did the Pope stop getting married?

Answer 1

Catholic AnswerClerical celibacy is probably as old as the Church, although we only have laws on the books back to the 2nd century, the 2nd century canon reads: "If a Priest or Deacon is not already married, he can never contract marriage." St. Jerome, in the fifth century (I believe) wrote: The Apostolic See accepts married men to be Priests provided they live no longer as husbands to their wives." and marriage has never been allowed after ordination, if a single man was ordained he had to practice celibacy.

extracted from Radio Replies, by Fathers Rumble and Carty, 1942

Another answer

As far as England is concerned, it was a very long process.

In 1093 the Norman knight Boso, whose master was the Bishop of Durham, had a nightmare in which he saw a field full of women - the wives of priests. They were waiting to be condemned to eternal punishment in Hell. Sir Boso passed on this Holy vision to the Church authorities, who already saw marriage as unsuitable for priests but could not agree what to do about it.

At Westminster in 1102, Archbishop Anselm helped to draw up a number of constitutions (regulations) concerning priests. The first of these says simply:

"That priests should no more be suffered to have wives."

This regulation passed into Canon (Church) Law and a monetary fine was introduced for anyone who disobeyed. The problem was that priests continued to marry, and happily paid the fine which became almost like a licence.

Some priests accepted the ban and did not marry, but took a woman into their home instead. Such women were called "hearth-women", effectively mistresses and morally even worse than the wives they replaced. The regulations did not say anything to prevent such an arrangement.

Further attempts were made to prevent priests (and even Bishops) marrying throughout the medieval period, with only limited success. It was only when Henry VIII ended the Catholic Church in England and took control himself that things changed.

Answer 2

Most of the popes who were married were married before they became a priest and their wives died before they became ordained. Pope Honorius IV (1285-1287) was married before he took the Holy Orders and had at least two sons. He entered the clergy after his wife died, the last pope to have been married.

Answer 3

They never get married. They consider gay marriage a sin.

Answer 4

The middle ages