Presented by the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith, it proposes a positive vision of the exclusive union between a man and a woman. Generated by a request from African bishops, it draws on Scripture, history, philosophy, and poetry. Released today, the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women, it states that true love “stops before the sacred dimension of the other”.

Vatican City (AsiaNews) – “The intention of this Note is fundamentally proactive: to extract from the Sacred Scripture, from the history of Christian thought, from philosophy, and even from poetry, reasons and motivations that lead to choosing a unique and exclusive union of love, a rich and all-encompassing mutual belonging.”

Thus begins the introduction to Una Caro. In Praise of Monogamy. Note on the Value of Matrimony as an Exclusive Union and Mutual Belonging, presented this morning at the Holy See Press Office, outlining the goals of the new document from the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith.

Today, 25 November, International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, the Church also marks the memorial of Luigi and Maria Beltrame Quattrocchi, the first married couple beatified together.

Cardinal Víctor Manuel Fernández, prefect of the Dicastery, began his address stressing that the Note came about following a request from "many African bishops," who experience "difficulty" in justifying monogamy in cultural contexts where polygamy is widespread, if not the norm.

“They made it clear, in some of their speeches, that they were unable to motivate young people toward an exclusive union," he said in response to questions from the press. “The goal was not to speak out against polygamy, but to encourage monogamy, even in Italy,” he explained.

The Note responds to Pope Francis's mandate, which includes the document on Marian titles and another in preparation on the transmission of the faith. The dicastery is waiting to meet with Pope Leo XIV for guidance on new directions.

Professor Giuseppina De Simone of the Pontifical Theological Faculty of Southern Italy, speaking at the press conference, explained the reasons for the choice of the word "eulogy," meaning "to sing praises."

It is “a prophetic text, not intended to correct, but to propose, to offer a vision, a vision that is not abstract," she stated, designed to affirm "the beauty of a love that is exclusive, but far from excluding.”

It has “more than 60 pages, exploring scripture, the magisterium, theological reflection, but also literature and poetry, to express what cannot be said, what can only be sung, what only jubilation can restore," Prof De Simone explained.

Several authors appear in this “rigorous, well-documented text,” which “narrates the beauty of being one flesh,” she added. To name just a few: popes – Francis, Saint John Paul II, Saint Paul VI, Leo XIII – but also philosophers, writers, and Church Fathers, Saint Augustine, Saint Thomas Aquinas, Søren Kierkegaard, Eugenio Montale.

The presence of authors who are not saints is “a sign that monogamy is not only a revealed supernatural value, but also a natural belief that appears as a value in various cultural manifestations," said Cardinal Fernández.

The text defines marital union as “an exclusive union and mutual belonging"; if it were not exclusive, "it would be a partial gift of self that does not respect the dignity of the partner," he added.

Marriage is therefore “all-encompassing” and can “be realised between two and only two, one man and one woman,” said the prefect of the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith.

Alongside this first "fundamental" point, the issue of the personal dignity of each spouse was also addressed, a relevant topic at present, since today is the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, established by the UN General Assembly in 1999.

The Istanbul Convention of 11 May 2011 defines “violence against women” as “a manifestation of historically unequal power relations between women and men”. It recognises its "structural nature," and considers “de jure and de facto equality between women and men” as “a key element” in preventing this widespread problem.

Cardinal Víctor Manuel Fernández, quoting from the Note, stated that "manipulations, jealousies, harassment, and infidelity" develop when the "conviction proper to true love, which stops before the sacred dimension of the other," is lost.

The "mutual belonging proper to reciprocal and exclusive love," on the contrary, would imply "a delicate care, a holy fear of profaning the freedom of the other, which is the same dignity, and therefore the same rights.”

The document also stresses that "those who truly love" do not use other people as a “means”, but fill their own “emptiness” through alternatives to the “domination of the other”. This also applies to celibate people, who are sometimes responsible for abuse.

The lack of respect for the dignity of others, added Cardinal Fernández, also emerges from "claims of complementarity." There is no "single model of reciprocity" in the marital union, the Note reads. Each person represents an "untransferable nucleus," which should not be destroyed.

“The healthy and beautiful 'us two' can only be the reciprocity of two freedoms that are never violated, but choose each other," the document says. It emphasises the importance of "reacting promptly" to the first signs of "irritation" and "disrespect."

It suggests that in such cases, "the person (victim) must assert his or her dignity, set the necessary limits, and begin a journey of sincere dialogue, to convey a clear message: ‘You do not possess me, you do not dominate me’.”

Divided into seven chapters, he doctrinal note Una Caro. In Praise of Monogamy is presented as a resource to help young people, engaged couples, and married couples deepen their understanding of the "richness" of Christian marriage.

It is also addressed to bishops, especially those in pastoral settings where polygamy is a cultural fact, but also to those working in the West, who have seen the growth of "polyamory," a form of consensual relationship involving multiple people simultaneously.

Finally, although the word "femicide" was not mentioned, Cardinal Fernández stated that it is "certainly a topic we still need to explore further," declaring himself pleased that "this document is being presented on this day,” 25 November, when both civil and religious communities are raising awareness about combating gender-based violence.

• vatican
• dicastery for the doctrine of the faith
• doctrinal note
• monogamy
• africa
• polygamy