simony

plural simonies

1. countableuncountableThe buying or selling of spiritual or sacred things, such as ecclesiastical offices, pardons, or consecrated objects.

   He openly practiced simony; in other words, he sold benefices.

   2007, Edwin Mullins, The Popes of Avignon, Blue Bridge, published 2008, page 37

   2 more examples

   To his eyes it had no attraction; it savoured of simony, and was likely to bring down upon him harder and more deserved strictures than any he had yet received: he positively declined to become vicar of Puddingdale under any circumstances.

   1855, Anthony Trollope, chapter 20, in The Warden

   ‘There are those two,’ he then said, ‘who were recently arraigned on a charge of high simony. Fancying a monstrance and stealing it and proposing to sell it. They pleaded the usual pagan ignorance.’

   1989, Anthony Burgess, “Hun”, in The Devil’s Mode

   Synonyms: Simonism