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The Vatican has reaffirmed its support for monogamous marriage between a man and a woman, issuing a new document in response to concerns from African bishops about the prevalence of polygamy among their congregations.
Released on Tuesday by the Vatican’s doctrine office, the text underscores the Catholic Church’s long-standing teaching that marriage is an indissoluble, lifelong union. While that principle is widely known, the document says the Church’s emphasis on the “unique and exclusive” nature of monogamous marriage is less familiar.
African bishops have repeatedly raised the issue at recent Vatican gatherings, noting that polygamy remains widely practiced in parts of the continent and seeking clearer guidance from Rome.
The new document — titled “A Dear One: In Praise of Monogamy” — responds with a detailed exploration of how marriage has been understood across Scripture, Christian theology, philosophy, poetry, and in teachings by popes and church councils. It spans 40 pages, includes 256 footnotes, and is currently available only in Italian.
In his introduction, Argentine Cardinal Víctor Manuel Fernández, prefect of the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith and the document’s author, says readers need only consult the final chapter on “conjugal charity” and the conclusion to grasp its core message.
Catholic doctrine teaches that marriage is a lifelong and exclusive union between a man and a woman, open to the possibility of new life. The final section of the document addresses sexuality, procreation and attraction within marriage, drawing on Fernández’s earlier theological work.
Fernández has been a divisive figure for conservative Catholics. Upon his appointment in 2023, critics resurfaced two long-out-of-print books he wrote years earlier — “Heal Me with Your Mouth: The Art of Kissing” and “The Mystical Passion: Spirituality and Sensuality” — which contained erotic and mystical reflections on sexuality and sparked controversy. Neither book appeared on the official bibliography released by the Vatican at the time of his appointment.
He is also the author of one of Pope Francis’s most contentious documents: the 2023 declaration permitting priests to bless same-sex couples. That statement triggered a rare, unified rebuke from African bishops, who publicly refused to implement it.
