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

WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006):

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