In response to the request from the First Session of the 16th Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops Assembly (October 2023), which encouraged SECAM (Symposium of Episcopal Conferences of Africa and Madagascar) to promote theological and pastoral discernment regarding polygamy and to accompany persons in polygamous unions who are coming to faith (cf. Synthesis Report, no. 16q), the Church in Africa, through its continental body, SECAM, established a dedicated Team of Experts.
This Team of Experts, comprising 12 specialists from various regions of Africa and its islands and representing diverse fields such as dogmatic and fundamental theology, biblical studies, pastoral care, canon law, and anthropology, convened twice in person and participated in numerous virtual meetings, ultimately completing its work.
The resulting document is organized into eight sections:
1. Introduction
2. Polygamy in Africa: Past and Present
3. Listening to the Biblical Experience
4. Christian Marriage: One Man and One Woman
5. Pastoral Experiences
6. Canonical Assessment of Practices
7. Toward a Pastoral Response to Polygamy
8. Conclusion
The methodology employed by the Team was based on three key phases: “listening”, “appreciating” and “engaging”.
a) Listening involved four distinct moments:
- Listening to the African world, past and present.
- Listening to the Word of God concerning polygamy.
- Listening to the Church’s teachings on Christian marriage.
- Listening to existing pastoral practices.
b) Appreciating involved critically evaluating these pastoral practices, alongside the supporting law and theology.
c) Engaging focused on exploring potential responses to two fundamental questions:
- What pastoral care is appropriate for those found in polygamous relationships according to the Gospel?
- What pastoral initiatives can support Christians in embracing monogamous marriage?
The draft document was shared with the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith via the General Secretariat of the Synod of Bishops. We received encouraging feedback from the Dicastery, along with specific considerations to be addressed. Consequently, the text was returned to the Team of Experts for further refinement.
Given the Dicastery’s guidance, the document has not been sent to the National Episcopal Conferences. Instead, it was presented and discussed by Bishops and theologians during the SECAM Plenary Assembly, held in Kigali, Rwanda, from 30 July to 4 August 2025. The insights from this assembly will inform the final version of the document.
Following the deliberations at the Plenary, the final text will be submitted to the General Secretariat of the Synod of Bishops and the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith for further guidance.
President: H. Em. Card. Fridolin Ambongo Besungu, O.F.M. Cap.