Vatican defends marriage as exclusive union of man, woman

The doctrinal note ‘Una Caro’ (One Flesh): In Praise of Monogamy. Doctrinal Note on the Value of Marriage as an Exclusive Union and Mutual Belonging from the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith was released only in Italian on November 25. Pope Leo XIV approved its contents on November 21 and authorised its publication.

The foundation of sacramental marriage is the unity of the spouses, a bond so intense and grace-filled that it is exclusive and indissoluble, the doctrinal note stated.

Cardinal Víctor Manuel Fernández, prefect of the doctrinal dicastery, wrote in the document’s introduction that the dicastery wanted to draw from Scripture, theology, philosophy and “even poetry” to explain why it is best to choose “a unique and exclusive union of love, a reciprocal belonging that is rich and all-embracing”.

The poets quoted included Walt Whitman, Pablo Neruda, Emily Dickinson and Rabindranath Tagore.

The dicastery said it issued the note in response to requests from the bishops of Africa where polygamy is still practised, and because “various public forms of non-monogamous unions – sometimes called ‘polyamory’ – are growing in the West”.

“Polygamy, adultery or polyamory are based on the illusion that the intensity of a relationship can be found in the succession of faces,” the document said. But “as the myth of Don Juan illustrates, numbers dissolve the names; they disperse the unity of the loving impulse”.

While the Church, its theologians, pastors and canon lawyers have written much about the indissolubility of the marriage bond, the note said, there has been less official reflection “on the unity of marriage – meaning marriage understood as a unique and exclusive union between one man and one woman”.

The doctrinal dicastery insisted that sacramental marriage is forever and that openness to procreation is an essential part of marriage, but it also said the purpose of the doctrinal note was to focus primarily on the unitive aspect of marriage.

Because marriage is a union between a man and a woman “who possess exactly the same dignity and the same rights”, the document said, “it demands that exclusivity which prevents the other from being relativised in their unique value or being used merely as a means among others to satisfy needs”.

“The mutual belonging proper to exclusive, reciprocal love implies a delicate care, a holy fear of profaning the freedom of the other, who has the same dignity and therefore the same rights,” the note said.

FULL STORY

Vatican: Marriage is exclusive union requiring ‘tender care’ (By Cindy Wooden/CNS)

Vatican defends monogamy against polygamy, polyamory (Catholic News Agency)