Polygamy in Africa on the list of issues faced by Synod

Polygamy in Africa, women in ministry, the process of selecting bishops … During the first general congregation of the Synod on October 2, 2024, working groups and commissions established by Pope Francis following the first assembly in October 2023 presented the progress of their work.

Among the main announcements, a group led by the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith closed the door on the establishment of a female diaconate, though affirmed that “the opportunity to continue the work of going deeper remains open.”

The themes discussed publicly on day one concern subjects raised during the first assembly. The Pope had chosen to entrust them to working groups last February. These 10 groups must submit their final work in June 2025. The current synodal assembly is therefore not intended to specifically explore these themes.

In addition, two commissions have been set up by the Pope, one devoted to possible developments in canon law, and the other to the case of polygamy in Africa.

Here we report the progress of these groups’ work.

Group 5 has been entrusted to the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith and is chaired by Cardinal Victor Manuel Fernández, prefect of this dicastery. It aims to explore more deeply “the question of the place of women in the Church and their participation in decision-making processes and in the government of communities." It plans to publish next June a document with the pope’s previous approval.

The dicastery, relying in particular on recent public statements by Pope Francis in which he opposed the female diaconate, and on the work of the two commissions established by the pontiff to work on this subject, considers that there is “no room for a positive decision by the Magisterium on women’s access to the diaconate understood as a degree of the sacrament of Orders.”

The Pope, Cardinal Fernández declared, “considers the issue not yet mature” – which means that he is not closing the door completely, but does not want the issue to block discussion of wider women's issues in the Church. Nevertheless, the working group considers possible “in-depth study” on the female diaconate.

“In the mind of the Holy Father, there are other issues still to be explored and resolved before rushing to talk about a possible diaconate for some women,” Cardinal Fernández said in his speech. His working group therefore proposes a “new perspective” with a “reflection on the expansion of the ministerial dimension of the Church.” The Church could, for example, specifically entrust new services to non-ordained Catholics.

In order to imagine new forms of ministries capable of “expanding the spaces for a more incisive female presence in the Church,” the DDF proposes studying the paths of saints or important women in the ancient and recent history of the Church.

Without having been ordained, they “exercised real authority of great value and fruitfulness,” the cardinal says.

The figures cited as examples by Cardinal Fernández are Matilda of Canossa, Hildegard of Bingen, Bridget of Sweden, Catherine of Siena, Joan of Arc, Teresa of Ávila, Juana Inés de la Cruz, Mama Antula, Elizabeth Ann Seton, Maria Montessori, Armida Barelli, Dorothy Day, and Madeleine Delbrêl. The cardinal also calls for listening to women who occupy “leading roles” in the Church today.

Led by the Symposium of Episcopal Conferences of Africa and Madagascar (SECAM) and its president, Cardinal Fridolin Ambongo, Archbishop of Kinshasa, this work focuses on how the Church can support people still wrapped up in the traditional practice of polygamy in parts of Africa.

Cardinal Ambongo recalled the commitment of the Catholic Church in Africa to promote monogamy. However, he acknowledged that since the arrival of the first missionaries, the “very present reality” of polygamy had put priests in a difficult situation. He recalled that cases of polygamy differ according to regions and contexts. It’s necessary to distinguish between “small polygamy” with two or three spouses and “large polygamy” with 10 spouses. This phenomenon is often linked to the exercise of tribal power. It’s also important to distinguish between polygyny (several women) and polyandry (several men).

This situation, the Congolese cardinal said, is a “challenge” for the Church, particularly dealing with people who live in polygamy at the time of their conversion. “Affirming the doctrinal elements is not enough. There’s an urgent need for pastoral support for polygamous people,” he explained.

The question of the selection of bishops, the role of episcopal conferences, and ad limina visits was presented by Bishop Felix Genn, of Essen (Germany). Without calling into question the processes for appointing bishops, who are chosen or confirmed by the pope after the work of the Apostolic Nuncio and the Dicastery for Bishops, the group asks that the identification of potential bishops be more “participatory.”

The People of God, states the document drawn up by the group, asks for “more transparency and responsibility” in this selection process. He believes that “confidentiality sometimes raises doubts among the faithful about the honesty of the procedures implemented.”

The document calls for “greater attention to the reality of the local Church” in the selection of candidates. It also recognizes the need for “greater involvement” of the local Church in the process, particularly lay men and women. It requests that the presbyteral council and the pastoral council be able to participate in the drafting of a “profile” of the bishop that the diocese “feels the need for.” Finally, the group requests the revision of the forms sent by Rome to the bishops before the ad limina visits.

A subgroup has also been set up to study the judicial authority of the bishop, particularly concerning cases of abuse committed in his diocese. Their interim report underlines the fact that although the exercise of this function can create “unease,” it’s not possible for the bishop to get rid of his judicial authority. On the other hand, it is possible to delegate it by setting up a certain number of structures. Finally, "where these structures are lacking, bishops can always ask for help from the Holy See."

The canonical commission calls for episcopal, pastoral, and parish councils to be made mandatory, and also for the bishop or priest to be required to consult these councils. It hopes that the presence of a majority of lay people and the "adequate presence" of women, young people, and marginalized or poor people in pastoral councils will be enshrined in Church law.

The group recommends that people living "in complex personal and/or marital situations may also participate" in the different types of councils. It proposes the possibility of the presence of ecumenical representatives without the right to vote, called "guests." It’s working on determining an "adequate minimum number" of meetings of these councils and on promoting greater transparency and accountability.

The group also calls for encouraging “the activation of the higher power [of the bishop or the priest, editor’s note] only when reasonably necessary.”

The canonists commissioned by the Pope lastly encourage the return of “provincial councils,” a form of ancient episcopal assembly bringing together the authorities of the same region, which fell into disuse after Vatican II.

The work of this group, presented by Jesuit priest Carlo Casalone, focuses on so-called “controversial” cases, the aim being to find a method to resolve the tensions that they can generate. Without going into detail, the group distinguished two categories of controversial issues: social and political controversies, including those involving the themes of peace, relations with other religions, and ecology; and controversies of a personal nature, such as those concerning sexuality, marriage and procreation, and the promotion and care of life.

Head of the group Cardinal Claudio Gugerotti, Prefect of the Dicastery for the Eastern Churches, highlighted the tragic situation faced by these Churches, which often run the “risk of disappearing,” an “irremediable loss for the Church.” He stressed the importance of the diaspora (those living in a place other than where the Church is headquartered) for these Churches, which for some represents the majority of their faithful. “The responsibility for these faithful falls to the Latin episcopate to an ever greater extent,” states the document presenting the work of the group, highlighting a structural “difficulty” for Latins to accept these Churches in their diversity.

The prefect asks the Church to address the issue of “Latinization” denounced by the Eastern faithful, that of the concession of bi-ritualism for Eastern priests incorporated into Latin dioceses, and that of the authority of territorial jurisdiction of the Eastern Churches in the “West.” At the end of his presentation, the cardinal encouraged the members “not to give precedence to legal norms over the consultation of these Churches, otherwise we will make the same mistakes that we made in previous centuries.”

The Australian laywoman Sandie Cornish highlighted the work of her commission, which seeks to promote the importance of better listening to the poor, citing the cases of “Afro-descendants,” members of lower castes, and people with disabilities.

Among the few concrete proposals, the commission proposes sending seminarians “to spend their summers picking fruit alongside immigrant workers,” or to create listening training for existing charities, in particular to give them a “better understanding of the social dimension of the mission.”

This working group, led by the Archbishop of Madrid, Cardinal José Cobo Cano, is working on the revision of the Ratio fundamentalis institutionis sacerdotalis, a document promulgated in 2016 by Pope Francis that governs the functioning of the formation of future priests in seminaries. The group does not envisage a “recasting” of the text, but the drafting of a “preamble” that would underline the importance of training in synodality and a “solid integral maturation,” in particular with a view to “preventing the scourge of abuse.”

American laywoman Kim Daniel highlighted the importance of the new digital culture for the Catholic Church. Her group’s report highlights how digital technology creates a “fluid place that involves a dynamic of inculturation of the Church.” She also highlighted the question of the “language” to be used to speak “to the minds and hearts of people” in these new contexts.

The group, chaired by Cardinal Oswald Gracias, Archbishop of Bombay, asks how nuncios can serve the development of synodality. As with Group 7, the issue of the appointment of bishops is raised. The group also mentions issues of training in synodality in the curriculum of the Pontifical Ecclesiastical Academy (“school of nuncios”), as well as that of a better use of new technologies.

The work of this group, presented by the Italian religious Simona Brambilla, secretary of the Dicastery for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life, focuses on a better articulation of working methods between the bishop and the different religious communities in his diocese.

Presented by the Maronite priest Paul Rouhana, this working group studies the way in which other Christian Churches can help the Catholic Church today in its path towards greater synodality.

The Secretary General of the Synod, Cardinal Mario Grech, informed the participants this Thursday morning that any Catholic faithful could contribute to the work of these 10 groups. “It will be possible for everyone to send […] proposals. […] Church leaders, but also and above all each believer […] and each group, association, movement, or community will be able to participate,” he said, specifying that the observations should be sent to the Synod secretariat which will transmit them to the groups.