Letter #83, 2025, Tuesday, November 25: “One flesh,” #6, last footnotes

    The Vatican today issued a document on the sacral character of marriage entitled Una caro [“One flesh”]. In Praise of Monogamy.

    In my previous letters, I sent the full text in English, in three parts, and then the first 150 footnotes.

    Here below, the final 106 footnotes.

    —RM

    DICASTERIUM PRO DOCTRINA FIDEI

UNA CARO

In praise of monogamy

 Doctrinal note

on the value of marriage as an exclusive union

and mutual belonging

    [Presentation and Paragraphs 1 to 156 in the previous emails. Here below, after the end of the main text, the date of its approval by the Pope, November 19, is given, followed by the final 106 of the 256 footnotes]     The Supreme Pontiff Leo XIV, in the Audience granted to the undersigned Prefect together with the Secretary for the Doctrinal Section of the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith, on 21 November 2025, Liturgical Memorial of the Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary, approved this Note, deliberated in the Ordinary Session of this Dicastery on 19 November 2025, and ordered its publication.

    Given in Rome, at the seat of the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith, on 25 November 2025.

Víctor Manuel Card. Fernández

Prefect

Monsignor Armando Matteo

Secretary

for the Doctrinal Section

Ex Audientia Die 21 novembris 2025

LEO PP XIV

    ***

Footnotes (continued)

[151]Ibid. , 29.

[152] Ibid. , 159.

[153] Ibid. , 43.

[154] Ibid. , 44.

[155] Ibid. , 62.

[156] Ibid. , 63.

[157] J. Maritain, Reflections on America , edited by A. Barbieri, Works of Jacques Maritain 1, Morcelliana, Brescia 2022 3 , 109.

[158] Ibid .

[159] Ibid. , 110.

[160] Ibid.

[161] Ibid.

[162] Cf. J. Maritain, Love and Friendship , Morcelliana, Brescia 1964, 1987 8 .

[163] Ibid. , passim.

[164] Ibid. , 14.

[165] Ibid. , 15.

[166] Ibid. , 18 (italics added).

[167] Manusmṛti 9, 101-102.

[168] Srimad Bhagavatam IX, 10.54.

[169] Thirukkural, 54 and 56.

[170] Francis, «Letter to the poets», in Id., Long live poetry! , A. Spadaro (ed.), Libreria Editrice Vaticana, Rome 2025, 178.

[171] Ibid. , 178-179.

[172] W. Whitman, «We Two—How Long We Were Fool’d», in Id., Leaves of Grass, New York 1867, 114: « We have circled and circled till we have arrived home again—we two have ».

[173] P. Neruda, «Soneto LXXXI», in Id., Veinte poemas de amor y una canción. Cien sonetos de amor , Colección Biblioteca Premios Nobel 2, Altaya, Barcelona 1995, 203: « Ninguna más, amor, will sleep with my dreams. / Irás, iremos juntos por las aguas del tiempo […]».

[174] E. Montale, «I went down, giving you my arm, at least a million stairs», in Satura (1962–1970) , Mondadori, Milan 1971, 37.

[175] A. Pozzi, «Beauty», in Words. Diary of Poetry, Mondadori, Milan 1964, 191-192.

[176] P. Neruda, «Pido silencio», in Extravagario (1958), in Obras completings, II: De “Odas elementales” a “Memorial de Isla Negra”, 1954–1964, Opera Mundi, H. Loyola (ed.), Galaxia Gutenberg–Círculo de Lectores, Barcelona 1999, 626-628: « I go to close my eyes and I only want five things, five favorite roots. One is love without end… The fifth thing is your eyes, my beloved Matilde, I don’t want to sleep without your eyes, I don’t want to be without looking at me .”

[177] P. Éluard, «Nous deux», in Derniers poèmes d’amour , Seghers, Paris 1963, 1965: « Nous deux nous tenant par la main / Nous nous croyons partout chez nous […] / Auprès des sages et des fous / Parmi les enfants et les grands ».

[178] R. Tagore, «Heart ( The Gardener, 28)», edited by R. Russo, in Words of Love, TS Edizioni, Milan 2021.

[179] E. Dickinson, « That Love is all there is » (1765), in The Complete Poems of Emily Dickinson, TH Johnson (ed.), Little, Brown and Company, Boston – Toronto 1960, 714: « That Love is all there is, / Is all we know of Love ».

[180] Leo I, Lett. Regressus ad nos (21 March 458), c. 1: DH 311.

[181] Thomas Aquinas, Summa Theologiae, II-II, q. 23, a. 1, resp . (emphasis added).

[182] Roman Ritual. Rite of Marriage,  n. 71: Libreria Editrice Vaticana, Rome 2008, 44-45.

[183] ​​Second Vatican Ecumenical Council, Past.  Gaudium et spes  (7 December 1965), n. 48: AAS 58 (1966) 1067. Cf. can. 1057 § 2 CIC ; can. 817 § 1 CCEO .

[184] Catechism of the Catholic Church, n. 1627.

[185] Paul VI, Encyclical Letter Humanae vitae (25 July 1968), n. 8: AAS 60 (1968), 485-486 (italics added).

[186] K. Wojtyła, Love and Responsibility, trans. edited by A. Milanoli, Marietti, Genoa–Milan 1980, 61-62.

[187] John Paul II, Homily at the Mass for Families in Kinshasa (3 May 1980), n. 2: AAS 72 (1980), 425.

[188] Francis, Apostolic Exhortation  Amoris Laetitia (19 March 2016), n. 100: AAS 108 (2016), 351 (emphasis added).

[189] Ibid. , n. 131: AAS 108 (2016), 362 (italics added).

[190] Ibid. , n. 319: AAS 108 (2016), 443 (italics added).

[191] Ibid. , n. 163: AAS 108 (2016), 375 (italics added).

[192] Ibid. , nn. 163-164: AAS 108 (2016), 375-376 (italics added).

[193] Second Vatican Ecumenical Council, Past.  Gaudium et spes  (7 December 1965), n. 24: AAS 58 (1966), 1045.

[194] Cf. Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith, Decree Dignitas infinita (8 April 2024), Presentation and nn. 1, 6.

[195] Catechism of the Catholic Church, n. 357 (emphasis added).

[196] K. Wojtyła, Love and Responsibility, trans. edited by A. Milanoli, Marietti, Genoa–Milan 1980, 29.

[197] Francis, Exhortation. ap.  Amoris laetitia (19 March 2016), n. 175: AAS 108 (2016), 381.

[198] Ibid . , n. 220: AAS 108 (2016), 399.

[199] Ibid . , n. 155: AAS 108 (2016), 371.

[200] Ibid . , n. 155: AAS 108 (2016), 371.

[201] Ibid . , n. 320: AAS 108 (2016), 443.

[202] Thomas Aquinas, Summa Theologiae,  III, q. 64, a. 1, resp .: « solus Deus illabitur animae ».

[203] Cf. Id., De veritate, q. 28, a. 2, to 8; Id., Summa contra Gentiles, II, chap. 98, no. 18; ibid., III, chap. 88, no. 6; Bonaventure, Collationes in Hexaemeron, 21, 18.

[204] Cf. Bonaventura, In Sent ., I, d. 14, a. 2, q. 2, ad 2: in Id., Opera theologica selecta, I, Quaracchi 1934, 205-206. Cf. Ibid., q. 2, fund. 4 and 8 (Quaracchi 1934, 205).

[205] Francis, Exhortation. ap.  Amoris laetitia (19 March 2016), n. 320: AAS 108 (2016), 443.

[206] Paul VI, Encyclical Letter Humanae vitae (25 July 1968), n. 8: AAS 60 (1968), 486 (italics added).

[207] John Paul II, Exhortation. ap.  Familiaris consortio (22 November 1981), n. 59: AAS 74 (1982), 152.

[208] A.-D. Sertillanges, Christian Love, IPL, Milan 1947, 97 (italics added).

[209] Cf. J.-L. Marion, The Erotic Phenomenon. Six Meditations. , trans. edited by L. Tasso, Cantagalli, Siena 2007.

[210] Thomas Aquinas, In Sent ., I, d. 15, q. 4, a. 1, co.

[211] Second Vatican Ecumenical Council, Dogmatic Constitution  Lumen gentium  (7 December 1965), n. 41:  AAS  57 (1965), 47.

[212] Thomas Aquinas, Summa Theologiae, II-II, q. 23, a. 1, resp.

[213] Catechism of the Catholic Church, n. 1641.

[214] Roman Ritual. Rite of Marriage,  n. 74: Libreria Editrice Vaticana, Rome 2008, 47.

[215] John Paul II, Familiaris consortio (22 November 1981), n. 59: AAS 74 (1982), 152.

[216] Thomas Aquinas, Summa Theologiae, II-II, q. 27, a. 2, resp.

[217] Cf. Ibid. , II-II, q. 23, a. 2, resp.: «Love is in itself an act of the will».

[218] Ibid. , I-II, q. 26, a. 3, resp.

[219] Ibid. , II-II, q. 27, a. 2, resp.

[220] Roman Ritual. Rite of Marriage,  n. 71: Libreria Editrice Vaticana, Rome 2008, 44-45.

[221] Cf. Thomas Aquinas, Summa Theologiae, II-II, q. 23, a. 1.

[222] Francis, Apostolic Exhortation  Amoris laetitia (19 March 2016), n. 123: AAS 108 (2016), 359, which cites Thomas Aquinas,  Summa contra Gentiles , III, chap. 123. Cf. Aristotle,  Nicomachean Ethics , 8, 12 (ed. Bywater, Oxford 1984, 174).

[223] Francis, Exhortation. ap.  Amoris laetitia (19 March 2016), n. 150: AAS 108 (2016), 369.

[224] Ibid. , n. 74: AAS 108 (2016), 340.

[225] Thomas Aquinas, Summa Theologiae, II-II, q. 142, a. 1, resp.

[226]  Cf. Ibid., I, q. 98, a. 2, to 3; II-II, q. 153, a. 2, to 2.

[227] Ibid., I, q. 98, a. 2, to 3.

[228] Ibid., II-II, q. 153, a. 2, to 2.

[229] K. Wojtyła, Love and Responsibility, trans. edited by A. Milanoli, Marietti, Genoa–Milan 1980, 89.

[230] Benedict XVI, Encyclical letter. Deus caritas est (25 December 2005), n. 8: AAS 98 (2006), 224.

[231] Ibid . , n. 7: AAS 98 (2006), 223-224.

[232] John Paul II, Exhortation. ap.  Familiaris consortio (22 November 1981), n. 11: AAS 74 (1982), 92.

[233] Cf. Paul VI, Encyclical Letter. Humanae vitae (25 July 1968), n. 11: AAS 60 (1968), 488.

[234] K. Wojtyła, Love and Responsibility, trans. edited by A. Milanoli, Marietti, Genoa-Milan 1980, 161.

[235] Ibid. , 173 (italics in original).

[236] Paul VI, Encyclical Letter. Humanae vitae  (25 July 1968), n. 16: AAS 60 (1968), 492.

[237] Ibid.

[238] Pius XI, Encyclical Letter. Casti connubii (31 December 1930): AAS 22 (1930): 547-548 [cf. DH 3707].

[239] Augustine, On the Good of Conjugal Love, 3, 3: PL 40, 375.

[240] John Chrysostom, Homiliae in Epistolam ad Colossenses, hom. 12, chap. V: PG 62, 388.

[241] Second Vatican Ecumenical Council, Past.  Gaudium et spes  (7 December 1965), n. 50: AAS  58 (1966), 1072.

[242]  PJ Viladrich, «Conjugal love and the essence of marriage», Ius canonicum 12 (1972), 311.

[243] Benedict XVI, Encyclical letter. Caritas in veritate (29 June 2009), n. 53: AAS 101 (2009), 689.

[244] Ibid.

[245] Francis, Encyclical Letter Fratelli tutti (3 October 2020), n. 60: AAS 112 (2020), 990.

[246] Ibid . , n. 89: AAS 112 (2020), 1007.

[247]  Francis, Exhortation. ap.  Amoris laetitia (19 March 2016), n. 181: AAS 108 (2016), 383.

[248] Ibid. , n. 324: AAS 108 (2016), 445.

[249] Leo XIV, Exhortation. ap.  Dilexi te (4 October 2025), n. 104.

[250] Ibid ., n. 103.

[251] Roman Ritual. Rite of Marriage, n. 92: Libreria Editrice Vaticana, Rome 2008, 62.

[252] D. von Hildebrand, Marriage, trans. edited by B. Magnino, Morcelliana, Brescia 1959, 33 (italics added).

[253] Cf. Council of Trent, Session XXIV (11 November 1563), Doctrine on the Sacrament of Matrimony: DH 1799 (italics added); Second Vatican Ecumenical Council, Pastoral Constitution  Gaudium et Spes (7 December 1965), n. 48: AAS  58 (1966), 1068; Catechism of the Catholic Church, n. 1641.

[254] Francis, Exhortation. ap.  Amoris laetitia (19 March 2016), n. 134: AAS 108 (2016), 364.

[255] Second Vatican Ecumenical Council, Past.  Gaudium et spes  (7 December 1965), n. 48: AAS  58 (1966), 1068(emphasis added).

[256] Francis, Exhortation. ap.  Amoris laetitia (19 March 2016), n. 135: AAS 108 (2016), 364.    

    (Note: The above contains the final 106 footnotes of the document…)

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