1139 · Lateran Palace, Rome, Papal States
Second Lateran Council
In 1139, Pope Innocent II convened the Second Lateran Council to heal the schism caused by the antipope Anacletus II and to enact thirty canons reforming Church discipline, including the definitive requirement of clerical celibacy that remains in effect in the Latin Church today.
The council was called primarily to deal with the aftermath of an eight-year schism. When Innocent II was elected pope in 1130, a rival faction elected Anacletus II, who controlled Rome. Innocent spent years in exile, supported by Bernard of Clairvaux, until Anacletus died in 1138 and the schism collapsed. The council of 1139 was meant to declare the schism over, excommunicate those who had supported Anacletus, and reassert papal authority. About a thousand bishops and abbots attended, making it one of the largest gatherings of the medieval Church. But the council's lasting significance came from its reform canons. Canon 7 definitively required that clergy in major orders — subdeacons, deacons, priests, and bishops — not only abstain from marriage but that any marriages they attempted were invalid, not merely forbidden. Previous legislation had prohibited clerical marriage but had not declared such marriages null. This was a significant legal step. Other canons addressed simony, prohibited clergy from practicing medicine or law for money, banned tournaments, and required that Church property not be alienated without proper authority. The council also condemned the teachings of Peter de Bruys and Arnold of Brescia, early popular movements that challenged Church authority. Second Lateran was not as theologically groundbreaking as some other councils, but its disciplinary canons, especially on celibacy, had permanent effects on the shape of the Catholic priesthood.
Why it matters
Definitively established clerical celibacy as a requirement of the Latin Church by declaring marriages of clergy in major orders not merely forbidden but invalid, shaping the Catholic priesthood permanently.
What Happened
In 1139, after an eight-year schism between rival popes, Innocent II convened about a thousand bishops at the Lateran to restore unity and reform discipline. The council healed the schism, excommunicated supporters of the antipope, and issued thirty canons. Most significantly, it declared that marriages by clergy in major orders were not just prohibited but actually invalid — a decisive step that made celibacy a permanent feature of the Latin priesthood.
Why It Still Matters
The celibacy requirement that Second Lateran made definitive remains in force in the Roman Catholic Church today. Whether one sees celibacy as a gift that frees priests for total service or as a discipline that could theoretically be changed, its current form traces directly to this council. Understanding its origins helps clarify an issue that still generates significant discussion.