Nnadiebube Journal of Education

The Vatican document Una Caro (In Praise of Monogamy) reaffirms the Catholic Church’s perennial teaching on the exclusive and indissoluble nature of marriage. While doctrinally sound, its reception in African ecclesial contexts has exposed a pastoral tension that cannot be resolved by abstract moral clarity alone. Engaging Leonida Katunge’s critique and drawing on nearly two decades of parish priestly ministry across multiple dioceses in southeastern Nigeria, this article argues that African responses to Una Caro represent not resistance to doctrine but a call for synodal listening and contextual moral discernment. Employing a contextual–pastoral theological methodology, the article demonstrates that fidelity to Catholic teaching on marriage is most credible when mediated through accompaniment, patience, and concern for women and children whose lives are directly affected by moral decisions. The study proposes that African pastoral experience constitutes a legitimate locus theologicus for the Church’s ongoing moral reflection.

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