[ealgeone]

For other church historians out there, how exactly did the celibacy rule come about?

Please see my post #93. The Council of Trent made it "official" for Roman Catholics.

[EarlyBird]

Thanks, Eagle One.

So according to Wikipedia, before 1563 the celibacy rule didn’t exist.

That doesn’t sound right to me.

[EarlyBird]

Here’s a little bit of what I’m seeing:

Eighth Century
St. Boniface reported to the pope that in Germany almost no bishop or priest was celibate.

Ninth Century
836-Council of Aix-la-Chapelle openly admitted that abortions and infanticide took place in convents and monasteries to cover up activities of uncelibate clerics.
St. Ulrich, a holy bishop, argued from scripture and common sense that the only way to purify the church from the worst excesses of celibacy was to permit priests to marry.

Eleventh Century
1045-

Benedict IX dispensed himself from celibacy and resigned in order to marry.
1074-Pope Gregory VII said anyone to be ordained must first pledge celibacy: priests [must] first escape from the clutches of their wives.
1095-Pope Urban II had priests wives sold into slavery, children were abandoned.

https://www.futurechurch.org/brief-history-of-celibacy-in-catholic-church

[EarlyBird]

Celibacy was expected as early as the second and third century.

What idiots they were! They thought wives were were corrupting influences.

Ha! They should have known that little boys would be even more tempting!