clergy, a body of ordained ministers in a Christian church. In the Roman Catholic Church and in the Church of England, the term includes the orders of bishop, priest, and deacon. Until 1972, in the Roman Catholic Church, clergy also included several lower orders.
The Greek word kleros, signifying “share,” or “inheritance,” is used in I Pet. 5:3 to designate the priesthood of all the faithful. Most Christian churches, including the Roman Catholic, understand the clergy as persons functioning within the priesthood of all the people but ordained, or set aside, for particular service, especially in connection with eucharistic ministry.
A distinction between clergy and laity developed in the 2nd century, although the clerical ministry traces its beginnings to the commission of the Twelve Apostles and the Seventy for service. Over the centuries, the distinction between clergy and laity was emphasized by special privileges granted to the clergy, including those granted by the Roman emperor Constantine the Great. These privileges were later extended and codified by the Theodosian Code (438). Later progressive legislation in most countries removed the special privileges enjoyed by the clergy. Such privileges, including exemption from secular courts, were an important issue in the Protestant Reformation.
Within the Roman Catholic tradition, from the 4th century on, celibacy began to be enforced on priests. By the 12th century anyone taking vows as a deacon or priest also took a vow of celibacy. In the Eastern Church, however, celibacy prevailed only for bishops. In the 20th century the permanent diaconate, open to married men and single, was once more restored within the Roman Catholic Church.
Until the 20th century, in most Christian churches, the clergy was restricted to males. Gradually, at mid-century, however, most main-line Protestant churches began discussing the issue and changing their laws to allow the ordination of women.