Simony \Sim"o*ny\, n. [F. simonie, LL. simonia, fr. Simon Magus,
who wished to purchase the power of conferring the Holy
Spirit. Acts viii.]
The crime of buying or selling ecclesiastical preferment; the
corrupt presentation of any one to an ecclesiastical benefice
for money or reward. --Piers Plowman.
[1913 Webster] Simoom
simony
noun1: traffic in ecclesiastical offices or preferments [syn: simony, barratry]
SIMONY, eccl. law. The selling and buying of holy orders, or an ecclesiastical benefice. Bac. Ab. h.t.; 1 Harr. Dig. 556. By simony is also understood an unlawful agreement to receive a temporal reward for something holy or spiritual. Code, 1, 3, 31 Ayl. Parerg. 496.
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