simony

from WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006)

simony
    n 1: traffic in ecclesiastical offices or preferments [syn:
         {simony}, {barratry}]

from The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48

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

from Bouvier's Law Dictionary, Revised 6th Ed (1856)

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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