From polygamy to married priests: Catholic Church enters historic reform era

Che'lypse 2008, Buenos Aires, Argentina. [Courtesy/GettyImages] The Catholic Church is on the brink of historical changes as it begins to implement a 42-page 'synthesis report' aimed at incorporating diverse global perspectives that will influence its future. The far-reaching proposals from Africa include the church allowing polygamy, permitting the marriage of priests, and expanding women's roles within the church, including ordaining them as priests. The proposals are contained in the report prepared by the Synod on Synodality delegates from the Episcopal Conferences of the seven regions of the Catholic Church, which was recently discussed by Pope Leo XIII. However, proposals from the North American region, such as the acceptance of same-sex marriage, have sharply divided the Church, with most clerics from Africa and Asia opposed to it. Kenya's Mr George Sunguh, who was among the 12-member Communication Commission for the Synod of Bishops in the Vatican that prepared the proposals, said the church could find ways to accommodate traditional practices in Africa while preserving its doctrinal integrity. Mr Sunguh, then serving as the president of the Union of the Catholic African Press (UCAP), made Africa's six-man team under the Symposium of Episcopal Conferences of Africa and Madagascar (SECAM). Others were the President Philippe Nakellentuba Cardinal Ouedraogo, the then Metropolitan Archbishop of Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso, and the Secretary General, Reverend Father Terwase Henry Akaabiam of Nigeria. The process started with Parish Synodal committees collating views gathered from the church members and synthesised them into 10-page reports. The same process was repeated at the deanery and diocese up to the national episcopal conference level. The second stage was the Continental Phases, in which all seven regional assemblies were conducted between February and March 2023. The African team held its meeting under the Symposium of Episcopal Conferences of Africa and Madagascar (SECAM), the organisation that brings all Catholic bishops in Africa under one umbrella. This meeting ran from March 1 to 6, 2023, in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Again, all the views gathered from the eight regional episcopal conferences in Africa were synthesised into a 10-page document. The third phase was for the discernment by the 16th Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops. This was the Universal Phase, where representatives from around the globe met in Rome. "It was a historic Synod which included both clergy and lay people for the first time since the inception of the Catholic Church over 2,000 years ago. The assembly was held in two parts, the first meeting being in October 2023 and the second in October 2024, both at the Vatican," said Sunguh. Other proposals in the document include the potential relaxation of celibacy requirements for priests, which has become a significant subject of discussion within the Catholic Church. The team states that permitting married men to serve as priests could strengthen local communities' faith and help the Church maintain a closer connection with its congregations. The synod also raised the possibility of allowing people with families to enter the priesthood to encourage more vocations and retain active participation from those who feel called but are hindered by current restrictions. Empowering youth emerged as another significant issue, with advocates calling for the direct involvement of young people in decision-making and leadership roles within the Church. "Furthermore, the idea of ordaining female priests was openly discussed, reflecting a growing call for gender equality within the Church. Many African Catholics see this as a step towards recognising women's vital contributions to society and faith and as a way to make the Church more inclusive and representative of the diverse communities it serves," he said. However, not all Catholic clergy support the proposed changes. For instance, Cardinal Gerhard Ludwig Muller of Germany has voiced strong concerns about the direction of the current Synod, comparing it to an "Anglican synodal meeting". He alleged that some participants are "abusing the Holy Spirit" to introduce "new doctrines," including acceptance of homosexuality, women priests, and significant changes in Church governance. Muller's remarks highlight fears among traditionalists that the Synod may lead to departures from established Church teachings. Meanwhile, Cardinal Joseph Zen of Hong Kong has warned that if such reforms are legitimised, they could have profound implications for the Church's future. He cautioned that these changes could "alter everything", including core doctrines of faith and the discipline of moral life. Zen's comments reflect deep apprehension within segments of the Church community about the potential impact of the Synod's proposed reforms. This is the second major reform in the Catholic Church and a win for its African clerics, historians and Catholics since the 1994 historic and unprecedented Special Synod for Africa of the Synod of Bishops. The Synod on Synodality followed a structured, multi-phase process between 2021 and 2024 for collecting views, synthesising them and writing the final report signed by Pope Francis on October 26, 2024. This gathering was followed by another in 2009. During the course of these conferences, serious consideration was given to the relations between the Catholic Church and African traditional religions. African traditions had no grace in the church, as they were seen as paganism when missionaries arrived on the continent until the Second Vatican Council (Vatican II) of the 1960s proposed changes. Early church fathers in Africa saw the religious and cultural roots of the Africans that manifested in rituals, music and dance, and ways of prayer as paganism, barbaric or idolatry. However, the push by African religious scholars and fears in the Vatican that the old order was elbowing parishioners out of the church forced the Catholic Church to gradually change to retain the worshippers. And to filter what to adopt and to leave out, scholars of the Catholic Church described the start of the new order in the church as two synods for Africa in 1994 and 2009, where interreligious dialogue was held. In the first push for African 'religious roots' to the heart of the Church, the Church started to re-examine the 1956 theological manifesto "The Black Priests Question Themselves" to see what can be adopted. The late Pope John Paul II, who ordered the drafting of the documents, reportedly appreciated the African soul, which searched for God through its rich traditions that existed before the arrival of Christianity. Scholarly articles indicate that, backed by Pope Paul II, the first Africa Synod supported the inculturation as an implantation of the Gospel message in the culture of the people. In his post-synodal apostolic exhortation, Ecclesia in Africa, the late Pope defined inculturation as the process that includes theology, liturgy, customs, and structures in the Church. With the 1994 Synod, African Christians were allowed to discern what was good in their 'spiritual roots' and to make peace with them, thus introducing African dances and songs during the mass. Mr Sunguh, one of Africa's six men who drafted the new proposals, said that between 2025 and 2028, when the next Synod of Bishops will meet in the Vatican, is the implementation period of what was agreed on by the Synod. "The period (2025 and 2028) is to put the synod's recommendations into practice across the Church. This will culminate in a final ecclesial assembly (the Synod) at the Vatican in October 2028," he said. Mr Sunguh was among the members of the Symposium of Episcopal Conferences of Africa and Madagascar (SECAM) that prepared the African report proposing far-reaching changes. He said this unprecedented move by the church highlights the increasing global and inclusive nature of the church's leadership and its commitment to embracing diverse perspectives in shaping its future. In a significant move towards inclusivity and modernisation, the Catholic Church rolled out a consultative process that sought the views of baptised Catholics. Mr Sunguh, a member of the prestigious Communication Commission of the Synod of Bishops in the Vatican, said the church may be on its path to embracing African cultural practices like polygamy. Importantly, according to Sunguh, the process was participatory, with all baptised Christians given the opportunity to submit their views at the diocesan level. This open dialogue underscores the African value of communal decision-making and emphasises that the Church must evolve with its people, remaining a living institution that respects cultural traditions while embracing necessary reforms. "Overall, the African perspective on the Synod of Synodality highlights a hopeful vision for a Church that is modern, inclusive, and deeply rooted in the cultural realities of its faithful, ensuring it continues to attract and retain members across the continent," said Sunguh. Several months before announcing the Synod on Synodality in March 2020, Pope Francis said that "Synodality is a style; it is a walk together, and it is what the Lord expects from the Church of the third millennium." The implication was that the Church was becoming more democratic, allowing Pope Francis to listen to a wider range of voices and benefit from a greater diversity of perspectives. According to Sunguh, the move is to basically stem the mass exodus that is leaving empty pews in its wake and restricting new members from enlisting. "A restructure programme just like the ones effected before that bore fruit in the past, like the liturgical renewal from Latin to vernacular languages," he said. Highlighting the Church's ongoing commitment to dialogue, Pope Francis referenced the historic declaration made with the Grand Imam of Al-Azhar, Ahmed Al-Tayyeb, in 2019. The Document on Human Fraternity for World Peace and Living Together was signed in Abu Dhabi with the aim "to adopt a culture of dialogue as the path, mutual cooperation as the code of conduct, reciprocal understanding as the method and standard," the Pope recalled. He stressed that this is not an optional ideal but a fundamental part of the Church's mission in today's world. "A synodal Church", he said, "must walk this path of dialogue and cooperation alongside believers of other religions and people of different beliefs wherever it lives. "By doing so, the Church seeks to foster peace, respect, and mutual understanding across the globe, reflecting its vocation to be a compassionate and inclusive community committed to building a harmonious world. The Pope also urged the regular holding of ecclesial assemblies at all levels, emphasising that these gatherings should not be restricted to Church members alone. Instead, he encouraged opening these forums to contributions from other Christian denominations and ecclesial communities, fostering "a spirit of ecumenism and shared faith." This, he explained, is essential for building bridges and promoting mutual understanding.

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