The Vatican Confirmed the Importance of Monogamy in Marriage

• The Vatican confirmed the importance of monogamy in a new document.
• The document addresses the problems of polygamy among Catholics in Africa.
• It emphasizes that marriage should be exclusive and last a lifetime.

On November 25, 2025, the Vatican published a new document, which reaffirms the importance of monogamous marriage between a man and a woman. This decision was a response to the recorded concerns expressed by African bishops regarding the practice of polygamy among their faithful.

The document, prepared by the Vatican's Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith, emphasizes that marriage is an indissoluble union that lasts a lifetime. The Vatican reiterated that monogamous marriage is unique and exclusive, which remains largely unknown to the wider public.

In the document "The Path to One: In Honor of Monogamy," it is explained how marriage is viewed in the Bible, Christian theology, and philosophy. It consists of 40 pages and 256 footnotes, written in the Italian language. The author, Cardinal Victor Manuel Fernández, noted that the main message can be understood by reading the last section on "the love of a spouse."

The document also addresses the issue of sexuality, procreation, and sexual intimacy between spouses, referencing previous works by Fernández on this topic. Previously, this theologian faced criticism for his provocative book, which was not included in the list of publications provided by the Vatican.

Earlier, in 2023, Fernández prepared a controversial document that allowed Catholic priests to bless same-sex couples, which elicited a negative reaction from African bishops, who refused to follow this teaching.