Celibate

Abstract

This article is published on the basis of the report of Professor Archpriest Vladislav Tsypin at the All-Russian Pokrovsky Academic Scientific Theological Conference ‘Autocephaly of the Russian Orthodox Church: Towards the 575th Anniversary of the Establishment of Autocephaly of the Russian Orthodox Church’, held on 11 October 2025 at the Moscow Theological Academy. The article is devoted to the study of the phenomenon of clergy celibacy in its historical and theological perspectives. The paper traces the evolution of the attitude to celibacy from its negative evaluation in antiquity and ancient Israel to its recognition as a special feat in Christianity. The main emphasis is placed on analysing the development of the practice of celibacy in the Orthodox and Catholic Churches, identifying key differences in their canonical approaches. The historical and theological factors that determined the establishment of celibacy for the episcopate in Orthodoxy and its extension to all clergy of the Latin rite in Catholicism are explored. Particular attention is paid to the internal controversies and debates that accompanied the institution of celibacy, especially in the context of the Catholic tradition, as well as to contemporary tendencies to rethink this practice in both confessions. The aim of the study is to deepen the understanding of the canonical, historical and theological aspects of the phenomenon of celibacy in Christianity.