What Is Simony in the Catholic Church and What Does the Word “Simony” Mean?
Why Is Buying or Selling Spiritual Things Wrong?
What Does Acts 8:18 Teach About Simon Magus and the Origin of Simony?
Simony is the buying or selling of spiritual things, such as the sacraments, ecclesiastical offices, and other gifts of God (see CCC 2121-2122), or the gift of God. The word “simony” comes from Simon the magician, also known as Simon Magus, whose sinful actions in Acts 8:18-24 gave the sin its name.
In that passage, Simon sees the apostles SS. Peter and John imparting the Holy Spirit, specifically through conferring the sacrament of confirmation for those already baptized (Act. 8:14-17). When Simon offers the apostles money in exchange for the same this sacramental power, Peter rebukes him for thinking that God’s grace—and the power to confer it—can be purchased. His request shows a misunderstanding that still exists today: treating divine gifts as something that can be purchased.
As the Catholic Church firmly teaches, all spiritual things blessings come from God, who alone bestows them—whether directly, or indirectly through his disciples. Consequently, while God will bless all those who seek first his kingdom and his righteousness (Matt. 6:33), those who attempt to take spiritual shortcuts through money, power, and other means of influence will have to render an account to the Lord (see 1 Cor. 3:10-15), the Lord’s gifts are freely given, not bought or earned. When someone transgresses divine law, e.g., seeking to purchase the power to confer grace as Simon did, simony is always gravely wrong. When someone transgresses only ecclesiastical law, the gravity of wrongdoing depends on what is what is bought or sold, as well as the scandal given. And there can certainly be overlap between the two categories of simony.
What Was Simony in the Middle Ages and Church History?
Why Did Church Leaders Oppose the Buying or Selling of Church Offices?
Does Simony Still Exist Today in the Catholic Church or Conclave?
Simony became a widespread a major issue during the Middle Ages, when many viewed serving as a priest or bishop as a means to influence temporal affairs, often with the vain hope of thereby also impacting the afterlife positively. Here we speak of men who sought ecclesiastical office for themselves, as well as those who tried to manipulate men in Church offices through financial and other temporal incentives.
The resulting corruption scandalized the faithful (see CCC 2284-2287), reminding us that the root of all evil is the love of money and what can be gained through its power (1 Tim. 6:10). The buying or selling of Church offices places authority in the hands of those with money and related power, rather than trusting in God to raise up faithfully fruitful leaders. Also, lest there be any doubt, anyone who attempts to barter for God’s blessings will ultimately obtain the spiritual equivalent of fool’s gold.
Even popes have resorted to simony in gaining their office. For example, “To ensure his success” in the second papal conclave of 1503, Julius II “made great promises to the cardinals, and did not hesitate to employ bribery” (and thus simony). Seeing the error of his ways, Julius issued in 1510 a bull that he penned in 1505, whereby he invalidated any future papal election tainted by simony.
Because this is a changeable disciplinary matter, not an unchangeable doctrinal one, Pope St. Pius X rescinded Julius’s rule in 1904 as a means preempt a possible schism that might result from a papal election allegedly impacted by simony. In addition, St. Pius X knew that Jesus would preserve his Church amidst any scandal (Matt. 16:18). St. John Paul II affirmed Pius X in his own apostolic constitution in 1996:
If—God forbid—in the election of the Roman Pontiff the crime of simony were to be perpetrated, I decree and declare that all those guilty thereof shall incur excommunication latae sententiae. At the same time I remove the nullity or invalidity of the same simoniacal provision, in order that—as was already established by my Predecessors—the validity of the election of the Roman Pontiff may not for this reason be challenged (Universi Dominici Gregis, 78, emphasis added)
A tainted yet valid papal election reminds us, again, that our Lord Jesus Christ remains in charge, and thus we should not fall prey to the heresy of Donatism and leave Christ’s Church because of the sins of her human leaders.
The Deeper Meaning of the Sin of Simony and the Gifts of God
Why Simony Still Matters Today
At its deepest level, the sin of simony is about control, another sinful example of how allegedly noble ends can justify a morally evil means (CCC 1761). It reflects a desire to possess—and manipulate—what belongs to God.
But the gifts of God cannot be bought, sold, or manipulated. It is God who freely gives his gifts out of love, and typically through his Church, e.g., the sacraments and related ecclesiastical offfices. True faith recognizes this reality and so responds with childlike humility. (Matt. 18:1-4). This ensures that the mission of the Catholic Church remains rooted in the Lord and his grace, not human efforts that attempt to supersede or otherwise manipulate them.
The lesson of Simon Magus is ultimately a timeless warning: when we try to control God and his grace, we lose sight that he is the Lord and we are not.
Commonly Asked Questions
- What is simony in the Catholic Church? It is the buying or selling of spiritual things, including ecclesiastical offices and the gifts of God.
- Is simony a sin? Yes. The sin of simony is often grave because it treats God’s gifts as something that can be bought.
- Then why can priests be paid for their ministerial services? As Jesus says, “The laborer deserves his wages” (Luke 10:7), and thus priests rightly receive stipends for their ministerial services, including for offering the sacrifice of the Mass. Such is not simony but rather just compensation for faithful service. In addition, a layman can purchase a blessed rosary, though no additional charge should be added because it is blessed.
- What is an example of simony? Simon Magus in Acts 8:18-24 offered money for spiritual power and spiritually paid for it, pun intended. This is the classic example Simon’s sin illustrates how the sin gained its name.
- What is simony in Christianity? It is the attempt to exchange material goods for spiritual things, which contradicts Christian teaching.
Related Content:
Articles
Mass Stipends & Simony Explained
The Truth About Indulgences (No, You Can’t Buy Them)
Podcasts
Understanding Indulgences in the Catholic Faith
Is Buying Blessed Items Simony?
Tracts
Indulgences: Catholic Guide to Partial & Plenary
Q&As
Is It Sinful to Buy a Blessed Rosary?