Article — Noldin, Summa of Moral Theology
Article One. On the Unity of Matrimony.
516. What the Unity of Matrimony Is. The unity of matrimony, or monogamy, consists in this, that it is the union of one man with one woman. The unity of matrimony is perfect if neither spouse contracts another matrimony after the dissolution of the prior matrimony; it is imperfect if at least one of the spouses contracts another after the dissolution of the prior matrimony.
Polygamy is opposed to the unity of matrimony; it can be simultaneous and successive. Simultaneous polygamy is either polyandry, if one woman has several husbands, or polygyny, if one man has several women at the same time. Successive polygamy is called bigamy, whether one man successively marries several women, or one woman successively marries several men.
The Church at every time vindicated the unity of matrimony, which also the Roman civil laws prohibiting polygamy defended, and it never permitted polygamy, although it was importunately sought by supreme rulers. Among Protestants there are several examples of polygamy admitted by the heresiarchs. Polygamy, which the Mormons exercised for a long time, the Turks and pagans exercise today. Socialists, at least theoretically, admit not only polygyny but even polyandry itself.1
Polyandry is repugnant to natural law, because it is repugnant to the primary end of matrimony, namely the generation and education of offspring: to generation indeed, because a woman to whom several men approach is rendered sterile; but to education, because the father of the offspring received is unknown, and consequently no father cares for its education. Hence polyandry was always and everywhere prohibited, so that not even God can dispense from this law.
Polygyny is repugnant to natural law and to the secondary end of matrimony; it is also repugnant to positive divine law: Every one who puts away his wife and marries another commits adultery.2
a. There are several reasons on account of which polygyny is contrary to natural law: a. it is physically impossible, since the number of persons of each sex is almost the same; therefore nature intends monogamy; b. it is repugnant to the equality of rights which belongs to each sex and universally to human beings; c. it is repugnant to the common good, since it weakens the man and deprives the woman of her dignity; d. it disturbs the tranquil fellowship of life and mutual help between the spouses.
b. God can dispense from this law and in reality did dispense from it; for after the flood polygamy was granted to the patriarchs and to the Israelite people, which concession was also extended to gentiles. Through Christ, however, who restored matrimony to its primitive integrity, this dispensation was removed even with respect to infidels, so that even among infidels a second matrimony during the prior one is invalid, and among the Jews matrimony is no longer dissolved through the bill of repudiation.3
- Bigamy or successive polygamy is permitted to both man and woman even in the new law: A woman is bound as long as her husband lives; but if her husband dies, she is free: let her marry whom she wishes, only in the Lord.4 Therefore the Church always held second nuptials entered after the death of the prior spouse to be valid and licit, although it approved them less.
1 Bebel, Die Frau (Stuttgart).
2 Luke 16, 18. Cf. Council of Trent, sess. 24, can. 2.
3 Matt. 19, 3 ff.
4 1 Cor. 7, 39. Cn. 1142.