Vatican Releases New Doctrinal Note Affirming Monogamy, Addressing Gender-Based Violence
VATICAN CITY – november 25, 2023 – The Vatican today โขreleased Una โขCaro. In Praise of monogamy, a new doctrinal note aimed atโข clarifyingโ the Catholic Church’s understanding ofโข marriage and addressing contemporary challenges to the institution, including polygamy and polyamory. โฃPresented by Cardinal Vรญctor Manuel Fernรกndez, the documentโฃ emphasizes theโ importance of mutualโ respect, freedom, and equality โคwithin marital unions as a safeguard against abuse and violence.
The note, divided โinto seven chapters, is intended as aโ resource forโข young people, engaged couples, married couples, and bishops. It specifically addresses pastoral situations where polygamy is โa cultural โคpractice, as well as the growing prevalence ofโฃ polyamory in Western societies. โ
Una Caro frames violence against womenโข as stemming from “historically unequal power โrelations between women and men,” โechoing the definition โprovided by theโฃ Istanbul โฃConvention of may 11, 2011. The document stresses โฃthat “de jure and de facto equality โbetween womenโ and men” is “a key element” in preventing such โคviolence.
Cardinal โFernรกndez, quoting from the note, explained that manipulative behaviors like “harassment andโ infidelity” ariseโค when the “conviction proper to true โฃlove, which stops before theโค sacred dimension of the other,” is lost.โค Conversely, “mutual belonging proper to reciprocal and exclusive love” necessitates “a delicate care, a holyโฃ fear of profaning the freedom of the other, which is โขtheโ same dignity, andโ therefore the same rights.”
The document further asserts that individuals whoโ “truly love” do not exploit othersโฃ but seek fulfillment outside of “domination,” a principle applicable even โto celibate individuals. It also cautions against justifications for disrespect rootedโ in “claims of complementarity,” emphasizing thatโ each person possesses an “untransferable nucleus” that must be protected.
“The healthy and beautiful ‘us two’ can only be the reciprocity of two freedomsโฃ that are never violated, but choose each other,” the note states, urging prompt responses to “irritation”โฃ and “disrespect.” It advocates for โขvictims to “assert his or her dignity, set the necessary โlimits, and begin a journey of sincere dialog,” declaring, “‘You doโ not possess โme, you do not dominate โme.'”
While the term “femicide”โ is not explicitly used in the document, โฃCardinal Fernรกndez acknowledged its importance, stating itโ is “certainly a โฃtopic โwe still need to explore further.” He expressed โขsatisfaction that the document’s releaseโค coincided โwith November 25th,a โฃday dedicated โฃto raising awareness โขaboutโ combating gender-based violence,both within civil and religious communities.