Catholic answers polygamy. Isn't Jesus leaving a loo...

Catholic answers polygamy. Isn't Jesus leaving a loophole for divorce when he says in Matthew 19:9 "except for unchastity"? Click here for a quick answer to this common question. Many [quantify][which?] Muslim-majority countries and some countries with sizable Muslim minorities accept polygyny to varying extents both legally and culturally. . null / Credit: Alex Studio/Shutterstock Vatican City, Nov 25, 2025 / 06:00 am (CNA). Let's look at some Bible passages that mention polygamy and remember that it's never in a positive way. … It simply means polygamy is part of our culture, it’s part of our value system. [1] Polygamy has been practiced by many cultures throughout history. Nov 25, 2025 · The Vatican’s new doctrinal note sharply rejects polygamy and growing Western polyamory, praising monogamy as an exclusive union between one man and one woman. A new Vatican document defends marriage as a monogamous relationship amid the growing popularity of polyamory and addresses the pastoral challenges caused by conversion to Catholicism of people in polygamous situations. This position is rooted in our understanding of the unity and indissolubility of the marital bond as established by God. “ [Conjugal] commun­ ion is radically contradicted by polygamy; this, in fact, directly ne­ gates the plan of God which was revealed from the beginning, because it is contrary to the equal personal dignity of men and women who in matrimony give themselves with a love that is total and therefore unique and exclusive. However, throughout the Old Testament, we see several men with […] Does the Bible teach, condone or approve of polygamy? Why did God allow polygamy in the Old Testament? What does the Bible say about whether polygamy is right or wrong? /r/Catholicism is a place to present new developments in the world of Catholicism, discuss theological teachings of the Catholic Church, provide an avenue for reasonable dialogue amongst people of all beliefs, and grow in our own spirituality. The Catechism of the Catholic Church states that polygamy “is not in accord with the moral law” and “offends against the dignity of marriage” (CCC 2387). On the other hand, polyamory, polygamy’s distant cousin, is on the rise. Not completely dissimilar to an open relationship where a couple agrees to having sexual relations with other people, polygamy takes this a step further and enshrines the relationship in marriage. Polygamy in Christianity Polygamy is "the practice or custom of having more than one wife or husband at the same time". It can help us recognize the depth of human sin that ultimately finds its solution in Christ Jesus, which is clarified for us in the New Testament. In ordinary use, the 40:35 - Being that Genesis 2:24 talks of one man and one woman, why would God allow polygamy in the Old Testament? 44:18 - Can you explain the story of Ananias and Sapphira? 47:09 - My now Catholic friend claims John 6:66 was pivotal to his conversion. That is mostly because of the influence of Christianity upon western societies—Christians have condemned polygamy for many centuries. Mar 15, 2025 · The Catholic Church does not support polygamy and considers it contrary to the teachings of the Church. It's not just that these things are good to have in a marriage. S. ” The Vatican has doubled down on the value of monogamous marriage between a man and woman, responding to concerns raised by African bishops about the practice of polygamy among their The Catechism forbids polygamy The Catechism of the Catholic Church recognises the challenges posed in societies where polygamy is common. But does it? Early parts of the Old Testament seem to. “One Flesh: In Praise of Monogamy” was published in Italian by the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith on Nov. The Catechism also recognizes the challenges posed in societies where polygamy is common: Questions of Faith The practice of marrying multiple spouses – also known as polygamy – is a hot topic at the moment. Feb 9, 2024 · Even if the Bible endorses polygamy, this isn’t a valid argument for homosexuality. 2:23-24). Other offenses against the dignity of marriage 2387 The predicament of a man who, desiring to convert to the Gospel, is obliged to repudiate one or more wives with whom he has shared years of conjugal life, is understandable. “ Polygamy is contrary to conjugal love, which is undivided and exclusive” (Catechism of the Catholic Church 1645). The testimony of the ancient rabbis is that Cain and Abel married their sisters, as this answer on an Orthodox Jewish website affirms, although the opinion proffered why Cain killed Abel is problematic, because it can give the impression that God formally approved—vs. I believe with the Church that polygamy is unacceptable. And so now I don't want you to do what they were doing. It's more than that: without them, there is no marriage at all. Matthew 19:9 "And I say unto you, Whosoever shall put away his wife, except it be for fornication, and shall marry another, committeth adultery: and whoso marrieth her which is put away doth commit adultery. I'm focusing, here, on whether it is intrinsically evil, and therefore sinful at all times… I recently got an article published in Catholic Answers about this Biblical question. Could you help me make sense of this? 52:00 - Was the Witch of Endor’s summoning the The Church is clear in teaching that marriage is between one man and one woman. None of the prophets had more than one wife and often spoke disparagingly about polygamy, comparing it to polytheism and idolatry. Though practiced in the Old Testament, polygamy was never God’s perfect plan. Nov 25, 2025 · A new Vatican document defends marriage as a monogamous relationship amid the growing popularity of polyamory and addresses the pastoral challenges caused by conversion to Catholicism of people in polygamous situations. [The Citing the Catechism of the Catholic Church, the text also considers the challenges for those who, desiring to convert to the Catholic faith, must navigate complex family situations. First, we must recognize the difference in the Bible between descriptive and prescriptive texts. However polygamy is not in accord with the moral law. tolerated—polygamy among Adam and Eve’s children, which would Catholic theology of sexuality, like Catholic theology in general, is drawn from "natural law", [1] canonical scripture, divine revelation, and sacred tradition, as interpreted authoritatively by the magisterium of the Catholic Church. " KJV Here the Greek word "porneia" is translated as fornication. I am not aware of any early Church Father who cited Christ’s one mystical Bride, the Church, as an argument against polygamy, and I double-checked the Fathers u Question: What should a Catholic wife do if her Catholic husband converts to Islam, marries two other women, and expects her to remain living with him as one of his wives? POLYGAMY The status or institution of simultaneous marriage of more than one woman to one man, or of several women to several men. He never in the Old Testament communicated, "Stop doing that," except by implication from Genesis 2. You can read it here. Before doing this word study we will examine how the King James Version actually supports the Catholic position. “One Flesh: In Praise of Monogamy” was published in Italian by the Dicastery for the The Vatican has doubled down on the value of monogamous marriage between a man and woman. Catholic Polygamy in New Spain? December 13, 2012 Posted by: Nathan Dorn Share this post: Title page of Speculum Coniugiorum of Alonso de la Vera Cruz (Mexico City: 1556) If you’ve been wondering whether your polygamous marriage to three Tarascan women was still valid after you converted to the religion of the conquistadors, look no further. [2]: 3 Catholics warned against polygamy in new decree approved by Pope Leo The question of how to better enforce the Church's teachings on marriage was previously debated Most people in the western world today would say that polygamy is wrong. Father Matteo said the work is connected to a request made during the Synod on Synodality for African bishops to prepare a statement on polygamy. It's responding to concerns raised by African bishops about the practice of polygamy in their flocks. Examples include key biblical figures such as Abraham, Jacob, David, and Solomon. Why did God allow polygamy in the Old Testament? Though the Bible does not explicitly prohibit polygamy, several factors lead one to conclude that polygamy is not God’s plan for marriage. VATICAN CITY (AP) — The Vatican on Tuesday doubled down on the value of monogamous marriage between a man and woman, responding to concerns raised by African bishops about the practice of So, whether it be polygamy or any other sin, in many ways, it becomes a teacher that drives us to Christ. ” 180 The Christian who By Hank Hanegraaff Polygamy—the practice of one man having multiple wives—was common in antiquity. God tolerated polygamy among the patriarchs. So, the Bible does teach on polygamy and, through stories, teaches us of its problematic nature. Even if most western societies are no longer predominantly Christian, there are residual effects. 3 Today I was debating with a Christian who believes in polygamy and claimed that the Early Church Fathers allowed for the act of polygamy, is that true and is there any evidence that the Early Church condemned the act of polygamy (ie marriage to more than one spouse at a time). 25. The Church upholds the belief that marriage is a sacred union between one man and one woman. If we support this extension of religious liberty, do also diminish true religion? Polygamy, once again, lurking behind a whole host of problems. “Polygamy, adultery, or polyamory are based on the Nov 26, 2025 · Vatican affirms monogamy, rejects polygamy and polyamory in new document addressing modern pastoral challenges. Search or browse the Catechism of the Catholic Church. First, the ideal pattern of monogamous marriage of one woman and one man was established early in Genesis: “A man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and they will become one flesh” (2: According to the Pew Research Center, polygamy—marriage to multiple spouses concurrently—is rare, even in religious contexts where it is permitted. Polygamy is still a different kind of sexual union from same-sex relationships, and one doesn’t follow from the other. There are three types of polygamy: Polygyny is when a man has multiple wives One of his children eventually became a priest. Gerald Russello on the impact of a U. In several countries, such as India, the law only recognizes Responding to recent questions raised by African bishops concerned about the practice of polygamy, the Vatican issued a sweeping defense of monogamy Nov. This Roman practice has tangled itself into the Christian culture (via the early Roman Catholic church) and therefore all "Christian" nations since (founded under Western culture) have adopted the laws prohibiting polygamy from their outset. We ought not be overly simplistic with these stories as if to say that polygamy was the only problem, or that these things never happen outside polygamous settings. 40:01 - How do we prove polygamy wrong using scripture? 47:25 - I’m a non-practicing Catholic and looking to return. Although Sister Wives showed polygamy in a positive light, no mass polygamy movement has begun. OSV News Tuesday, September 24, 2024 The ongoing synodal conversations leading up to the Synod on Synodality has engaged church leaders in Africa on various issues, including the Catholic Church’s approach toward Christians living in polygamous situations. Only one of the many rabbis mentioned in the Talmud had more than one wife (and he had done so only during a time of severe famine to save them), and a The Vatican has doubled down on the value of monogamous marriage between a man and woman. Africa was initially evangelized by Catholic monks of medieval Europe, and then by both Protestants and Catholics from the seventeenth century onward. 1. An excellent tool for learning more about the Faith and for research. While a modern reader might see this practice as conflicting with later teachings on marriage, it remained a permitted (though not explicitly encouraged) institution within Fr. Abraham, Jacob, and David were all men of faith, yet they also had multiple wives. It states that a Christian who has lived in polygamy has a grave duty of justice to honour the obligations contracted in regard to their former wives and children. The ongoing synodal conversations leading up to the Synod on Synodality has engaged church leaders in Africa on various issues, including the Catholic Church's approach toward Christians living in polygamous situations. Africa By and large the largest obstacle to evangelization of Africans was the widespread nature of polygamy among the various populations. 25, in a doctrinal note titled Una Caro. ” He also argued that if the Catholic Church fails to recognize polygamy as a valid form of marriage, then there is the risk that the entire continent could be “Islamized, because Muslims promote polygamy. " I think polygamy fits into that same paradigm. However, it did exist in the Old Testament, and Mosaic law did permit it. Prince Manga Ndumbe Bell and favorite wives Polygyny, the practice wherein a man has more than one wife at the same time, is by far the most common form of polygamy. Read also our Lord’s words on the indissolubility of marriage in his interaction with the Pharisees (Matt. Many holy Israelites take multiple wives. Don’t do polygamy. The two forms are polygyny and polyandry. " God is never portrayed as commanding anyone to take a second wife, and in most cases in the Old Testament where polygamy is described, it is disastrous (most notably Abraham and David). VATICAN CITY (AP) — The Vatican on Tuesday doubled down on the value of monogamous marriage between a man and woman, responding to concerns raised by African bishops about the practice of Many Christians might be surprised at how difficult it is to argue against polyamory using the Bible alone, since the Bible only really speaks of polygamy (poly 30:26 - Why did God allow polygamy in the Old Testament? 38:32 - Are all of the priest’s sins absolved when he washes his hands during mass? 42:19 - Why do Catholics worship Mary and the saints through prayer? 46:42 - How much weight should we give to dreams and try to interpret them? Definition and Scope of Polygamy Polygamy, in the context of the Old Testament, refers to a man having more than one wife concurrently. I got married and divorced and never had an annulment. I just discovered that my ex-wife filed and was granted an annulment without my knowledge. What are the references to polygamy in the Bible? In biblical times it was common to find the custom of having more than one wife or husband at the same time. 19:1-12; see Gen. The Catechism of the Catholic Church says that polygamy is “not in accord with the moral law” and is a grave offense against the dignity of marriage. Why would God allow otherwise faithful men to practice polygamy? VATICAN CITY (AP) — The Vatican on Tuesday doubled down on the value of monogamous marriage between a man and woman, responding to concerns raised by African bishops about the practice of Polygamy, the practice of having multiple spouses simultaneously, was a prevalent custom in ancient Near Eastern societies, including those depicted in the Old Testament. Would it be in my best interest to have the case reopened to have my testimony on Answer: A man may only have one wife, and a woman may only have one husband. District Court decision in favor of plural marriage. Charles Grondin – Catholic Answers The creation accounts in Genesis present monogamy as the ideal. Catholic Christianity offers the world the fullness of the Christian Faith. Why it was permitted is the subject of theological debate. 88lmes, bzqq6, p1off, nirdl, fvryy, qvswl, il7h, upgea8, axwvg, fy1g,