The First Married Gay Bishops
posted August 19, 2009 - 3:29pm
Who were the first practicing gay bishops in history? Who were the first married gay men in the history of Catholicism?
Paulinus of Nola (ca. 352-431) is a candidate for the first gay bishop (singular) to be recorded in history.
We know about Paulinus because he wrote popular homoerotic verse, so popular and so homoerotic in fact that the Church couldn’t cover it up or deny their bishop’s sexuality after his death. There is no evidence that Paulinus married his love.
- The First Married Gay Bishops in History
But who were the first recorded practicing gay bishops (plural) and were they ever married? Will we ever know? It stands to reason that we won’t because the Church will have destroyed all evidence of their existence. But what if the Church failed to destroy every remnant of evidence from a time before it banned practicing homosexuals and married men from its hierarchy? What if, one day a Masters student, conversant with some relevant primary sources and recent works about sexuality, tombs and tomb sculpture was studying a text about a succession of bishops and it became highly apparent that two of them (at least) had been gay and practicing homosexuality with each other in the mid sixth century? What if there were some evidence that they married? Our research shows that these bishops would qualify as the first gay, married bishops in history.
This is exactly what happened when a Masters student was reading The Lives of the Holy Fathers of Mérida. The bishops in question were Paul and Fidelis and they held the bishopric of Merida, Spain, in a gay dynasty-like succession from ca 535-565. What were the clues in The Lives of the Holy Fathers of Mérida? What other circumstantial evidence exists to strengthen their claim to be the first married gay bishops in history? It is gathered in this article and published online for the first time ever on Xomba
St. Peter by Lorenzo Monaco dated 1405 - There is no evidence that Saint Peter was gay but if he was the evidence would have been destroyed.
Bishops Paul and Fidelis of Merida: The First Married Gay Bishops in History
- Male Homosexuality in Ancient Greece
The Lives of the Holy Fathers of Mérida leaves its readers in no doubt that both bishop Paul and his successor bishop Fidelis were of Greek origin. Conveniently (or inconveniently if you’re intent on rewriting History) there is abundant evidence that male homosexuality was not only widely practiced in Ancient Greece but was the norm. For instance, Greek vases dating from the fifth century BC commonly depict male homosexual relationships. They also illustrate the model of the typical homosexual couple – an older bearded man and a younger clean-shaven younger man. This model was still prevalent in Greece almost a thousand years later where it was recorded by the Roman historian Ammianus Marcellinus (quoted below). Bishop Paul and his successor Fidelis conformed in at least their age difference to this model.
- The Acquiescent Attitudes of the Visigoths
The bishopric of Mérida was in Visigothic Spain. Spain was where the Romans eventually gave the Visigoths a homeland in 569 after a long migration which started in 376 when the Hun took over their original homeland and the Goths were forced to cross the Danube into the Roman Empire. During this period, although Romans were coming to discriminate against homosexuals it seems that the Visigoths had contrasting acquiescent attitudes towards social, religious and sexual behaviours by members of their own society and outsiders who joined it. The Visigothic attitude towards religious practices and the social position of women will form the content of future articles in this series of articles entitled History Truth and Reconciliation, now to look at their acquiescence concerning male homosexuality.
- Proof that the Goths Accepted Male Homosexuality
Gothic society according to a rare fragment about them by Jordannes “Feared death but admired the wound”. If we read about the migration of the Goths, Ostrogoths (Eastern Goths) and Visigoths (Western Goths) we find societies which accepted new peoples into their ranks and treated them as equals and fellow Goths – as long as they had something to offer their number. During the Visigoths long migration from the lands of southern Russia and Hungary, over the river Danube and around Greece, into Italy, France and finally Spain, the most important attribute of men who joined them, as suggested by the Jordannes fragment, was their ability to fight. Their sexuality had nothing to do with that. This is precisely witnessed by the early homophobic historian Ammianus Marcellinus, writing about the Goths military build up in Thrace 377:
The Gothic chief Farnobius… was roaming at large… and had with him the Taifali, who had recently joined him… I have been told that these people of the Taifali are so sunk in gross sensuality that among them boys couple with men in a union of unnatural lust, and waste the flower of their youth in the polluted embraces of their lovers. (Ammianus Marcellinus 31.9)
The same acceptance was still a part of Visigothic society in Merida a few hundred years after Marcellinus. However, by now the Visigothic upper classes had nominally converted all of their society from Arian Catholicism to Orthodox Roman Catholicism and their society’s acquiescence towards other religious practices, the social position of women and male homosexuality was something which writers were instructed to cover up. Fortunately (or unfortunately if you don’t agree with the equality of the sexes, religions and sexualities) the writer of The Lives of the Holy Fathers of Mérida was unable to do this thoroughly.
- An Early Attempt to Rewrite History by the Author of the Lives
The Lives of the Holy Fathers of Mérida was written by an anonymous author, at the behest of the powers that be and under instruction to present Mérida as an Orthodox bishopric. To achieve this he left things out and explained away other matters. For instance, no mention is made of the Roman buildings – pagan temples – which would have dominated Merida. He describes several processions of resurrected saints on routes from, to and around Merida and gives directions avoiding all Roman landmarks. Go to Merida today and you’ll see for yourself how difficult it would be to direct people from one side of the city to another and ignore these pagan landmarks which still dominate the modern city.
Then there’s the not insignificant matter of when bishop Paul first meets Fidelis who had travelled from Bishop Paul’s Greek homeland with a party of merchants
[Bishop Paul] leapt from his chair and embraced [Fidelis] in the sight of all… for his heart was stirred by him. Falling upon his neck and kissing him for a long time, he wept copiously with joy. (The Lives of the Holy Fathers of Mérida IV iii,iv)
We are to believe that this wasn’t love (or lust) at first sight because as Bishop Paul explained and the writer of the Lives explained:
“[Fidelis] is a relative of mine and a very close one”. He added: “Go in the name of the Lord, without any hesitation and tell my sister that I have kept her son to console me in my exile” (The Lives of the Holy Fathers of Mérida IV iii, xi)
The author thus expects his readership to believe that Fidelis, who came to Mérida as part of a trading mission, did not know his uncle was the city’s bishop. His arrival there was virtually a miracle but at least totally coincidental. The Lives readers are expected to believe that Bishop Paul (the patron on a massive fortune bequeathed by Mérida’s richest family) did not have the means to send word to his sister in Greece and invite his nephew to stay and offer him an excellent career path.
You could argue (as eminent historians did about the thesis this article is based upon) that the greeting and the closeness of Paul and Fidelis from that time forward wouldn’t have been mentioned if the Church had anything to hide. Also that when the author added:
As soon as the [other merchants] left, the bishop had the young man tonsured and offered him to the service of Almighty God and assiduously trained him day and night like a servant of Samuel in the temple of the Lord... (The Lives of the Holy Fathers of Mérida IV iii,xi)
he wasn’t attempting to cover up the very active homosexual sex lives of Paul and Fidelis. Nor was he attempting to explain away or give a different spin to something which was common knowledge. You could argue that this reading of the Lives was guilty of seeing modern behaviour wrongly at play sixteen hundred years ago. Really, why would the writer even mention it if there was something to hide?
This brings us nicely to the irrefutable material evidence: the shared “bed sarcophagus” of Paul and Fidelis which existed at the time the Lives was written. This is the strongest evidence of the relationship of Paul and Fidelis.
[Fidelis’s] body was placed in one and the same sarcophagus next to the body of his holy predecessor [Paul] as though [they were] in one bed honourably entombed. (The Lives of the Holy Fathers of Mérida VI)
It was not an option for the author to ignore the existence of this sarcophagus, as miracles were being performed at its site (according to later chapters in The Lives of the Holy Fathers of Mérida). In addition, the site was shared with other holy sarcophagi, most importantly that of Bishop Masona (to whom most of the Lives was dedicated). It was essential in representing Mérida as a stronghold of Catholic orthodoxy that the city have such a site. Consequently the author was forced to present the offending tomb in the sanitised version quoted above. However, with minor alterations and additions to this text the popular alternative discourse concerning this sarcophagus can be heard:
Fidelis’s body is placed in the same sarcophagus as his lover Paul. It is as though they are in the same bed now as they were in life…
The only occupants of bed sarcophagi are married couples. Thus, it is likely that in addition to being the first practicing gay bishops in history, bishops Paul and Fidelis of Mérida were perhaps the first married gay bishops too.
Quaratesi Altarpiece - Pilgrims at the Tomb of St. Nicholas of Bari by Gentile da Fabriano dated 1425. In the National Gallery of Art (USA)
- Select Bibliography
Coxall, Catherine 2001. “Visigothic Attitudes. Religion, the social position of women and male homosexuality in Gothic and Visigothic societies” in Indecent Exposure: Sexuality, Society and the Archaeological Record The Cruithne Press.
Garvin, Joseph N. 1946. Vitae Sanctorum Patrum Emeritensium (The Lives of the Holy Fathers of Mérida). Chicago University Press.
Panofsky, Erwin 1992. Tomb Sculpture Its Changing Aspects from Ancient Egypt to Bernini
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Comments
Good Debate
I was hoping for more debate. Much of what has gone on has been me defending the article when it has been misunderstood or detractors have taken segment of the evidence and attacked it as inconclusive. These have conveniently ignored the evidence of the tomb (two adult men in the same sarcophagus "as if they were in the same bed").
Fortunately, the great thing about publishing original articles on Xomba (I'm sure you'll agree) is that a new debate can erupt at any time.
Thanks for your comment
AndAnotherThing2 writes COMEDYand is Xomba's first featured HISTORIAN
You sure got a lot of feeback...
Articles like this make for some very good debates.
Job Well Done Jeremy and Xomba
Both my featured History Articles have had a boost of readers from their front page promotion. My first featured article A Black Afican Slave Child in the Seventeenth Century had c300 while on the front page and this (as you commented almost 500).
Both articles are ranking well to under numerous relevant search criteria. This article has had another c300 readers and A Black Afican Slave Child in the Seventeenth Century 200+ since being replaced by other categories' features. It's difficult to say but it seems that the new Xomba is doing even better in the rankings.
Cheers Jeremy and Xomba
AndAnotherThing2 writes COMEDYand is Xomba's first featured HISTORIAN
Respect to L Wagen
I really appreciated your comment and the time it must have taken you to craft it shows it was heart felt and has humbled me. Thank you very much indeed. Excuse me if my apology is shorter but be assured it is completely sincere.
AndAnotherThing2 writes COMEDYand is Xomba's first featured HISTORIAN
AStore Not a Typo, But it was a Writing Mistake
Astore is what Amazon calls their little stores, or affliate stores so it wasn't a typo. Not to say of course that I have never ever made a spelling, grammatical mistake or typo. I just wrote it that way so people would know that is an Amazon Affliate, store but I'll change it if it is confusing to some people. You did not "misread" the signature line. You read my signature line properly.
It's up to you to include or not include credentials in a bio. I understand on the Internet one has to be careful about personal security concerns, etc. especially when writing about controversal subjects, such as writing history to suit your particular view of it. After all you don't want any wierd people identifying you, and tracking you down! I'm sure as stated below you did graduate with a degree in History from a fine institution in England, and you are working as a Historian for some organization. But you have to realize readers will make judgements based on what they read in a biography, and based on the reader's previous knowledge of a subject.
I'm sure you did put a lot of work into your articles too!
As a writer, I know if you give your writing away for free on the Internet, or practically for free (You get paid by clicks), it is not taken seriously. And of course, print is always taken more seriously than material found on the Internet. Publishers don't publish everything unless they are vanity publishers, and by definition have to be more discerning, and thus the readers take printed material more seriously. Unlike the Xomba readership, I'm sure your thesis committee took your work very seriously, however, and you should write for the people who do like your writing on Xomba, and that agree with you too!
I'm also open to writing better, and if readers don't know what an astore is I'm willing to make my writing more clear! So thanks! I'll change it to Amazon Affliate store.
And yes I know how embarrassing it is to have someone say in an author's reading group or on-line, "What are you talking about?" And it's very embarrassing to be told in an author's reading group if you are not clear, or credible, and that it's your fault as a writer, not the reader's fault. As a writer your purpose is to provide clear communication with the reader. In writer's circles, attacking the reader is a big, big, no, no! But I have now gotten over the embarrassment, and unhappiness with my readers, and I now welcome criticism because it makes me a better writer! In my opinion, a reader cannot "misread" an article, as you said to TylaMac. But of course if the reader on-line or in an author's reading group is unkind, and purposefully mean that's a different matter, entirely. I'm sorry if I appear unkind, and mean!
Nobody likes their mistakes to be pointed out, so I'm sorry if I embarrassed you. And I'm sorry if you thought that I was teaming up on you with Publicus. And I can see you consider yourself a Historian first, and a writer second.
But as a writer, I try not to let a little embarrassment over something like the made up Amazon word, "astore" stop me from becoming a better writer! Obviously because we are both feature writers, our work is going to be commented upon more than it has been in the past year. I understand that.
If you don't want readers comments I guess Xomba maybe isn't the place to write, but good luck to you at Xomba anyway. I am not teaming up with Publicus. Our views as a reader of your material just differ from yours. I hope no hard feelings. Like they say, one can't please everybody, or write for everybody. Please don't take my comments so seriously.
I did recognize the hard work you put into it, but no I didn't recognize it as part of some thesis work because you never told your readers this. Really, and truly, I'm not a mind reader.
No hard feelings. I hope. Enough of this back and forth stuff. It's really getting rather silly.
I won't comment again on your work, because you don't appreciate it, and use it to improve. My goal is to help all writers improve, not because I think it is fun to gang up on anybody. I do, however, enjoy the give and take Xomba provides as long as it remains well civil, and nobody's feelings get hurt. And if I like someone's work, I say so too! I hope we both just get only positive comments! It makes the writing life so much more easier, and happier.
It's tough to offer criticism politely so nobody's feelings get hurt. And if I failed in my written comments to do so, as a writer, I apologize.
My comments were based on Jeremy's Nettles, Xomba moderator comments below.
I have deleted the string of comments from this post that devolved into personal attacks.
When you(AAT2) write a controversial article do not be shocked when others criticize its points. As long as the comments remains civil, we all benefit from a healthy discourse.
Jeremy Nettles
So please accept my apologies. If you as a reader, and author of the article considered me uncivil, than I was uncivil, even though I considered myself politiely disagreeing on a controversial article. If Jeremy considers me uncivil than he will delete this comment of apology, I am sure of it.
When you accused TylaMac, and Publius of being impolite for labeling your argument as weak, in my eyes this was not impolite, but of course in your eyes it was. I mean he didn't call you personal names like stupid or anything like that. He just said he didn't understand your logic. I still don't know if the nephew was not really a nephew, or what, although you cleared that up later in your comments. Like Publicus, and Tyla Mac and others' comments that were deleted by Jeremy I still don't understand the point of the article. I'm confused? And apparently questions, and criticisms upset you, and although you said fair criticism is okay with you, "fair" is always in the eye of the beholder, or in this case reader.
But of course, none of us knew this was your "baby", your thesis, and you were personally attached to it, as all writers are that put that much time into it. I commend you for distilling a thesis down. It's hard for any writer to do. It's a notable attempt to edit it well enought to place it on-line. And obviously you wanted everyone to like it. Like you said as a rebuttal to TylaMac's "irrelevant comments", your argument was highly original, and you put a lot ot time into studying the evidence.
I'm sure you had plenty of readers who weren't confused! So keep on writing! Don't let me discourage you. Feedback isn't everything, you know. You can't please everybody. Although I won't have the time and the inclination to read all your material, I do not think you should delete it. I just recommend rewriting your bio. And I think if the writer likes his or her own work that counts for a lot too! Negative comments come and go, so do positive ones. Please don't overreact.
Oh, my gosh, sorry Jeremy. After the criticism listed below by AAT2 that I was too brief in my comments, (purposefully I just wanted you to briefly know I was confused without hurting your feelings,) I now write a complete book! Who knew that history was not a boring subject!
AAT2 writes "Judgemental people - read the article and make a reasoned comment or don't bother."
I hope this very, very long comment by a "judgemental reader" was considered a "reasoned comment" but that too is in the eye of the beholder, or reader. From now on that is what I intend to do, not comment on AAT2's articles. But I can't guarantee that I will have time to "read the article" because I have lots of my own Xombytes to write, however, since she is a talented writer, I am sure she will have lots of readers anyway!
I apologize in advance for my long windiness, lack of politness, arrogance, and unreasoned comments! No more comments by L Wagen in the future! Too much unappreciated work!
But luckily, And Another Thing2, and I agree on something. Writing takes a lot of time, and is very, very hard work. I'm going now because I have my own Xombytes to work on!
No hard feelings?
Jumping on your Band Wagon
You should also tell your students to read more carefully, pay attention to typos and details. Present an objective argument - particularly if it is a critique - and try not to appear arrogant to readers and examiners. I've reproduced your original comment and my reply below. If you read it again carefully you should understand that you have made a mistake.
You and Publicus have joined forces to criticise me and have chosen to isolate one strand of argument/evidence and label the entire argument weak. I haven't flagged the (what I find offending) comments just exercised my right to reply to them.
I am not obligated to detail anything in biography. However, so as you know, the article is based on a post graduate thesis and I am a qualified historian and from a leading UK university.
I did go to much effort to produce this article. I am glad to contribute to the Xomba website and community. I'm proud to be Xomba's first featured historian (I'm sure anybody would understand that statement in the context it is made.) Perhaps I'm mistaken but I believe the work I've put into this will be of benefit to all Xomba members and the visitor experience. Have a look at the History section and consider what it would be like if I deleted all the articles I've published recently, exclusively on Xomba.
By the way - you've a typo in your signature "astore" should read "store"
This is about Visigothic Society before 711 ADYour counter argument is pathetically weak and rests on the "societal restraints" cliche and no evidence whatsoever. There is so much evidence that the Church destroyed evidence that there's no doubt that we'll actually never know what happened and the full story will allude on anything the Church judged to be a threat to its manufactured orthodoxy. If you feel that Historians should just accept that and allow dominant History - history written by rulers - to win, you are well catered for but your intellect will be stunted...
AndAnotherThing2 writes COMEDYand is Xomba's first featured HISTORIAN
Men during that time were more inclined to showcase their emotions then today, due to societal restraints. Seems to me he was just happy to see his nephew, and arguments linking their affection to homosexuality are weak.
L Wagen
For all things wagon,
Visit my astore Wagon-Load Power Shopping, and my home page.
AndAnotherThing2 writes COMEDYand is Xomba's first featured HISTORIAN
Job Well Done Jeremy
Good choice for the front page considering it has received almost 500 reads and numerous comments.
Glad to see our feature writer "feature" is off to a good start.
And Another Thing
And another thing, AndAnotherThing2 is not Xomba's Historian, because that would mean she writes about the corporate history of Xomba, as an institution. I know it's just semanitcs but AndAnotherThing2 is Xomba's First Featured History Columnist or First Featured Writer in History.
Rawnak isn't a physician because she is featured under Xomba's Health & Medicine column even though she is a licensed but nonpracticing dentist in India, and in the US a dentist is considered to also be a physician. Rawnak is the Featured Writer in Health & Medicine, and a housewife, and that is what she considers herself to be. I don't know maybe in India a dentist is a physician too?
And myself, L Wagen, I consider myself the Featured Writer in Jobs & Careers. I consider myself a Business Writer specializing in Jobs & Careers, not a "Careerist"? I am also a part-time Educational Consultant.
Now that doesn't mean AndAnotherThing2 couldn't be a Historian over there across the pond (in England), and in addition to that Xomba's First Featured Writer in History, but I need to evaluate her credentials first before I make that determination for myself. And maybe in the Queen's English, the word Historian is used differently there than in the US. I don't know?
In fact that sounds like an ideal subject for my Jobs & Careers column. How does one establish themselves in the career of a Historian? What exactly does the word mean? Is a Historian one who simply writes about History, or something else entirely? Stay tuned.
Credentials?
I don't know where AndAnotherThing2 got her Historian credentials, because her biography leaves off her education, and work history in the field of History, but I have to agree she needs to be more open to criticism, if she wants to write for any medium, but especially the Internet. Apparently she thinks my intellect is stunted, for disagreeing with her, but if anyone wants to read my feature articles, on job hunting click on L Wagen. I have listed my credentials in my biography, and in my introduction to my column in A Wagon Load of Free Job Hunting Advice.
I challenge AndAnotherThing2 to do the same that is to list her Historian credentials. Oh, and my background in history consists of 6 credit hours in American History, which I CLEP'd out of, and 3 credit hours in World Humanities. I also have worked in the Arizona Historical archives while attending college. I am what is called a History buff, not an expert, by any means. You can read all about my work history as an Arizona History Archival Assistant in The Nonexistent Ghost.
As an educational consultant, and substitute teacher in reading I have encouraged my teenage students to critically evaluate the selection in part based opon the credentials of the writer, and other readings by other authors in the field of interest. General, subjective, childish, and personal comments by students such as "The author is stupid, and her intellect is stunted" were not allowed.
Saw the Writing on My Wall!
You again! I've never discussed this article with a priest but I would like the opportunity to do so... Any feed back would be most appreciated.
Glad you're back,
best wishes
AAT2
AndAnotherThing2 writes COMEDYand is Xomba's first featured HISTORIAN
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