Muslim converts/Multiple wives

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SouthernSister

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What happens to men who convert from Islam if they have multiple wives? I’m sure this is happening some in Africa. Can you tell me how this is squared with the Church?

Thanks.
SouthernSister
 
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SouthernSister:
What happens to men who convert from Islam if they have multiple wives? I’m sure this is happening some in Africa. Can you tell me how this is squared with the Church?
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They have to pick one wife, and they are encouraged to pick the one they married first.
 
Ouch! That’s got to be a tough choice. Are they allowed to continue to support the other wives (in African polygamy, it’s unusual to have them all living under the same roof from what I understand).
 
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a_cermak:
Ouch! That’s got to be a tough choice. Are they allowed to continue to support the other wives (in African polygamy, it’s unusual to have them all living under the same roof from what I understand).
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Yes, they still have to support the other wives, and the children from those wives. Just no more sex except with the chosen wife.
 
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Catholic2003:
Yes, they still have to support the other wives, and the children from those wives. Just no more sex except with the chosen wife.
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What happens to the other wives? Are they free to marry?
Is there anything written about this? A Church document that I can refer to?

Thanks in advance,

SouthernSister
 
Since the others were not sacramentally married, they would be free to marry somebody else, but I have no documentation to back up that conclusion. Just my reasoning from catholic marriage teachings.

I would think the new convert would need to do a closer discernment of which wife he is ‘sacramentally’ married to than just which one came first? But again, that’s just me and my feeble reasoning skills, not official catholic position.
 
Here is the applicable canon law:
Canon 1148 §1 When an unbaptised man who simultaneously has a number of unbaptised wives, has received baptism in the catholic Church, if it would be a hardship for him to remain with the first of the wives, he may retain one of them, having dismissed the others. The same applies to an unbaptised woman who simultaneously has a number of unbaptised husbands.
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§2 In the cases mentioned in §1, when baptism has been received, the marriage is to be contracted in the legal form, with due observance, if need be, of the provisions concerning mixed marriages and of other provisions of law.
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§3 In the light of the moral, social and economic circumstances of place and person, the local Ordinary is to ensure that adequate provision is made, in accordance with the norms of justice, christian charity and natural equity, for the needs of the first wife and of the others who have been dismissed.
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SouthernSister:
What happens to the other wives? Are they free to marry?
Is there anything written about this? A Church document that I can refer to?
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The other wives are free to marry.

If you are interested in more detail, you can consult any good canon law commentary (for example, this one) under canon 1148.
 
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