African Church: Church Teaching on Monogamy Not Enough, Wants "Pastoral Approach" to Polygamists


The bishops of Africa will discuss the Church's "pastoral response" to polygamy, [which has been known for 2000 years], Cardinal Fridolin Ambongo, president of the Bishops’ Conferences of Africa, announced on October 2 at the ex-synod. He promised a document with a "comprehensive response" to the alleged question "What is the most appropriate form of pastoral care to support people in polygamous relationships?" There is a four-phase plan to develop a paper tiger by the summer of 2025. First, some experts will write a draft, then bishops and the Vatican can comment on it. At an African plenary meeting in July 2025, the bishops will review the draft together, and finally the Vatican will approve the text. Ambongo said the Church in Africa wants to uphold monogamy, but then he used the telling word "but": "But, affirming the doctrinal elements is not enough. Pastoral care for polygamists is urgently needed." Ambongo explained that polygamy exists [not only] in Africa in various forms and scales, from two to three wives, to more than 10 wives, in the case of traditional chiefs. In "modern Africa", he said, there are "new forms of polygamy," such as cohabitation with children recognised as legitimate. Ambongo was the cardinal who led the opposition to 'Fiducia supplicans', Francis' manifesto on homosexual [pseudo] blessings.  Source

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