Synod of Westminster bans clerical marriage in England

September 29, 1102

Anselm of Canterbury, freshly returned from papal exile, pushed through canons stripping priests of wives and concubines. Enforcement was patchy - rural parishes went on as before - but the gesture aligned England with Rome's new campaign to separate altar from bedroom. The reform met fierce resistance from parish clergy, many of whom had been married for decades and regarded their wives as indispensable partners in both ministry and farming.