Fr. Soc opposes Divorce Bill, invokes Catholic doctrine
IN reaction to the approval of the divorce bill (H.B. 9349) at the House of Representatives, Lingayen-Dagupan Archbishop Socrates Villegas stressed that Catholic Church “cannot support a bill that makes legal what to us is a transgression of Christ’s sovereign will.”
In a pastoral exhortation on the divorce bill issued on May 28, Villegas said, “While we may not have the power to thwart the passage of a law that would legalize divorce by legislators minded to pass it, it nonetheless remains the duty of every Catholic to catechize and instruct fellow Catholics and brothers and sisters in other faith-communities the reasons why we cannot support a bill that makes legal what to us is a transgression of Christ’s sovereign will.”
He emphasized that the existence of a divorce law will not render divorce a moral option for Catholics, for whom it will always remain contrary to the Gospel and the constant teaching of the Church. “Catholics who apply for and obtain divorce and re-marry are in a seriously, morally wrongful state,” he said.
Instead, Villegas urged those intending to marry to discern their readiness for the duties imposed by marriage and not treat it as a provisional arrangement. For those with marital problems, he highlighted the availability of services such as counseling and companionship offered by the Family Life Apostolate in every diocese and parish. He also pointed out that canonical processes for declaring the nullity of void marriages are available for couples in certain situations.
Addressing the fact that the Philippines is the only country without a legal divorce law, Villegas remarked that this should be seen as “a badge of honor, a mark of distinction” for faithful Catholics and Christians who take the Gospel as the ultimate norm of human life. He stated that marriage should only be entered into by those mature enough for a lifetime commitment and fidelity.
Villegas said the Church considers matrimony a sacrament, a sign of Christ’s unbreakable bond with the Church. “The Lord forges between himself and his Church is a bond that can never be broken, divorce would be perfidious to the reality of the sacrament,” he said. “For the true Christian, divorce cannot be an option.” (Eva Visperas)
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