Vatican City: The Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith (DDF) has released a doctrinal Note titled Una caro In Praise of Monogamy, emphasizing marriage as an “exclusive union and mutual belonging.” The document highlights conjugal charity, attentiveness to the poor, and condemns all forms of violence physical, psychological, or emotional. In today’s individualistic and consumer-driven world, it stresses the need to educate young people to see love as responsibility, trust, and a call to nurture the other.
The Note defines marriage as “an indissoluble unity” and an “exclusive union and mutual belonging,” emphasizing that full self-giving is possible only between two people. Anything less risks partiality and fails to respect the dignity of the other. The text, approved by Pope Leo XIV on 21 November the memorial of the Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary and released to the press on 25 November, underscores monogamy not as a limitation, but as a path to love that mirrors eternity.
According to Cardinal Prefect Víctor Manuel Fernández, the Note responds to three pressing realities. First, the “global context of expanding technological power” can encourage a perception of humans as limitless, diluting the value of exclusive love. Second, engagement with African bishops revealed that monogamy is not exceptional in African cultures, challenging common assumptions about polygamy. Third, it addresses the rising popularity of “polyamory” in Western societies.
The DDF highlights that conjugal unity, aided by grace, reflects the bond between Christ and the Church. Intended for bishops, engaged couples, and young people, the Note invites reflection on the depth and beauty of Christian marriage, encouraging calm, thoughtful exploration of its riches.
Divided into seven chapters plus a conclusion, the document reiterates that monogamy allows a love that opens to eternity. Central are mutual belonging and conjugal charity. Mutual belonging, grounded in free consent, mirrors the communion of the Trinity and strengthens marital stability. This belonging respects personal freedom and identity, allowing God’s presence without overstepping the human heart.
Exclusive love requires “delicate care” and reverence for the other’s freedom. The Note denounces all forms of violence, coercion, and domination that compromise dignity. Healthy conjugal love is never about possession; it honors boundaries and allows both partners to maintain individuality while choosing each other freely. Couples are encouraged to understand solitude or personal space as natural, emphasizing that marriage is trust, not total liberation from loneliness only God can fill the human void.
Prayer is highlighted as a crucial way for couples to grow in love, fostering conjugal charity as a unifying, divine gift. Through this, marriage becomes a profound friendship, where spouses feel at home in one another, united in love and mutual support.
Charity transforms sexuality into a holistic gift of self-giving, oriented to the well-being of the other. Fruitfulness is valued, yet childlessness or natural periods of infertility do not diminish marital integrity. In a society dominated by social media, modesty erosion, and symbolic or sexual violence, the Note calls for renewed education that presents love as a profound, responsible human mystery rather than a mere impulse.
Conjugal charity extends beyond the couple, urging engagement with the community and attentiveness to the poor. Love thrives when it is outward-looking, countering self-reference and selfishness. Pope Leo XIV emphasizes that caring for the poor is intrinsic to Christian family life.
In conclusion, the Note affirms that authentic marriage is an intimate, total union of two individuals, whose unity grounds the indissolubility of the bond. Conjugal love, nurtured over time, becomes a dynamic promise of the infinite. Tracing the theme from Genesis to the Church Fathers, papal teachings, and modern thinkers, the Note deepens understanding of the “we two” concept. As St. Augustine reflected: “Give me a heart that loves, and it will understand what I say.”