Polygamy study group urges ‘genuine conversion’ before baptism
“This is not about rejection or stigmatization.”
Two Vatican study groups associated with the synod on synodality released on March 24 their final reports, with one focused on polygamy and the other “the cry of the poor and the earth.”
The polygamy study group, composed of members of the Symposium of Episcopal Conferences of Africa and Madagascar, recommended that the Church cannot baptize men in polygamous unions.
The commission on polygamy started its report by stating that polygamy in Africa must be understood in a specific context.
“The African family is built on covenant… At the heart of this family, the child represents a priceless treasure, a divine blessing. The child perpetuates the lineage name while also helping to strengthen present life. Having numerous descendants is a gift from God.”
The report says that marriage had both a communal and religious dimension, involving “extended families and [inscribing] the union within a sacred order.”
However, even in polygamous societies, “the symbolic ideal often remained monogamous: the first wife held a unique status, while the others occupied a secondary position.”
The report compares this to the Old Testament, in which polygamy is legally tolerated, yet “Mosaic law regulates these situations without elevating them to an ideal… The creation narratives present the union of a man and a woman as the original paradigm.”
“Thus emerges a divine pedagogy: what was tolerated throughout history is not thereby proposed as a definitive norm. The New Testament offers a crucial insight. Referring to the Creator’s plan, Jesus recalls the original unity of marriage: “the two will become one flesh.”
The report adds that the missionaries in Africa had historically fought against polygamy because they saw it as a form of enslavement of women, therefore “the Fathers of SECAM encourage the promotion of the monogamous dimension of marriage by embracing the teachings of Scripture on the uniqueness and indissolubility of marriage.”
The study group adds that in the African context, there have been several pastoral practices when addressing polygamy, including the practice of allowing a polygamous to choose one wife before receiving the sacraments, “while guaranteeing justice and support for the other wives and their children.”
“Others establish a “permanent catechumenate,” welcoming the individual into the community without access to the sacraments. Sometimes, the first wife is baptized when she is considered a victim of an involuntary polygamous union. Finally, “veiled polygamy” – unofficial multiple unions – requires specific support, often focused on the woman and children,” it says.
Thus, the report states that “In the name of faith in the unity of sacramental marriage, which is closely linked to the sacrament of baptism…it would be preferable not to have it brought forward for polygamous catechumens who request it.”
“Doing so would create more problems than it would solve, especially considering the rights that flow from baptism, particularly the right to receive the other sacraments.”
The report recommends that “polygamists who wish to identify with Christ through baptismal grace be thoroughly prepared, free themselves from certain cultural constraints, accept the Gospel message, adhere to the Christian ideal, and commit to monogamous marriage before receiving baptism.”
“Thus, the Church will not baptize a polygamist based on a promise or who will continue to be so, even after receiving this sacrament.”
The document proposes pastoral closeness to polygamists who desire baptism, as they identify “a need for accompaniment within the framework of an inculturative (sic) pastoral approach, which opens pathways to a pastoral approach to polygamy.”
“This is not about rejection or stigmatization, but about accompanying individuals towards genuine conversion and full sacramental integration. This pastoral care must be characterized by closeness, listening, welcoming people, and respect for their individual journeys. This pastoral care of proximity must also aim to uphold the dignity of women,” the document says.
The document concludes by questioning “how can a man or woman in a polygamous relationship “become one flesh” with several wives or husbands? The Christian theology of marriage affirms that its unity and indissolubility stem from God’s creative design,” and stating that monogamy contributes to the recognition of the equal dignity of men and women.
“The question of polygamy does not only concern a family structure; It refers to the truth of the Covenant and to the vocation of conjugal love as a visible sign of the faithful unity of Christ and his Church.”
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Meanwhile, the study group on the poor and the environment emphasized that authentic listening must be relational, inclusive, and shared by the Church as a whole, calling for a more synodal Church rooted in encounter and co-responsibility in including the poor and the marginalized in the mission of the Church.
The study group on the poor and the environment brought together a group of theologians, experts, clergy, and pastoral workers “deliberately ensuring diversity of geography, vocation, lived experience, and gender parity.”
The study had a subgroup for people with disabilities and a subgroup of theologians with expertise on poverty and marginalization, which drafted two appendixes to the report.
The study group admitted several constraints to its work, including geographical gaps, as it lacked a member from the Middle East, linguistic limitations, insufficient time for “culturally appropriate consultation with Indigenous communities” and “scope boundaries, intentionally excluding topics such as digital listening and LGBTQIA+ issues, which were expected to be addressed by other Study Groups.”
The group addressed several issues in their report, such as the fact that “structures alone cannot substitute for relational encounter,” and that the local churches have gaps in how they “currently listen and respond to the cry of the earth, suggesting a need for new skills and deeper ecological awareness.”
The report dealt with five separate topics. First, “Listening: Existing and New Means,” which had recommendations such as encouraging the “use of the Mass for the Care of Creation during the Season of Creation,” the expansion of inclusivity in participatory bodies, establishing regional structures for “ listening to Indigenous Peoples and monitoring caste-based discrimination,” and the creation of an observatory on disability.
The report then discussed “Linking Community and Service,” which called to strengthen the communication and collaboration between “pastors, bishops, ministries, and agencies,” improving formation in social and ecological justice, and providing more pastoral support to those working in charity and justice ministries.
The third topic was “Networking Initiatives and Rights-Based Advocacy,” which suggested the promotion of “ integrated responses to both cries, using expertise and multi-level networking,” and “Formation in Catholic Social Teaching of those engaged in social ministry, advocacy, conflict resolution, and alliance-building.”
The fourth was “Theological Research That Listens,” which called to appoint theologians from “poor, marginalized, or underrepresented communities to advisory bodies across all levels of the Church,” and to facilitate access to theological education for laypeople, and particularly women from marginalized communities.
The fifth topic was “Formation for Listening to the Poor and the Earth,” which included suggestions such as “Prioritising direct encounters with people made poor and vulnerable,” “Recognizing persons made poor as agents of evangelisation, not just recipients of service,” and “ensuring access to formation for those on the margins, especially First Nations peoples, women, and people with disabilities.”
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