Buying or selling of ecclesiastical privileges, offices, sacraments, or sacred things, especially in exchange for money. The term comes from Simon Magus, a sorcerer mentioned in Acts 8:18–20, who attempted to buy the power of the Holy Spirit from the apostles.
Historically, simony has been condemned by the Church as a grave sin. It was particularly relevant during the medieval period, when church offices, indulgences, and even relics were sometimes sold for financial gain. The Third Lateran Council (1179) and other church councils explicitly outlawed simony, though enforcement varied.