By Ferdinand G. Patinio
MANILA, March 27 (PNA) — The head of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) echoed on Friday the stand of the Catholic Church against the proposed law legalizing divorce in the country.
CBCP president Archbishop Socrates Villegas opined that the measure, once passed into law, would make marriage a mockery.
“Logically, divorce puts its advocates in the dilemma of choosing between making of marriage a mockery and being arbitrary,” he said in a statement entitled “CBCP position against the Divorce Bill and against the decriminalization of Adultery and Concubinage.”
Villegas added: “A divorce law will either grant divorce on any ground – in which case marriage becomes a mockery – or on some grounds. But if it is granted on some grounds, irreconcilable differences, for example, who is to say that a person is more greatly challenged by irreconcilable differences than by the snoring of a spouse at night?”
He noted that such law is not needed as there are existing laws that cover problematic couples.
“So, why then would one want divorce if legal separation, annulment and declarations of nullity are juridical options already available?” the head of the Lingayen-Dagupan archdiocese said.
Likewise, he noted that divorce gives a married person a right to look for another partner since his/her previous relationship was a failure.
“Divorce allows an already married person to have another go at it, despite failing at the first. While one can reasonably test-drive a car and replace it with a better one should the test-drive prove unsatisfactory, it is plainly dehumanizing to both spouses to allow for a test-run, through a first marriage, and then grant the possibility of a replacement of spouses should the test fail,” Villegas explained.
“It is ironic that those most vocal in their support for divorce also hold themselves out as champions of human rights – and there can be no violation of human rights more egregious than to treat human persons the same way that you treat vehicles and appliances!,” he added.
Meanwhile, Villegas opposed the measure decriminalizing adultery and concubinage.
“Adultery and concubinage have been in our penal code for not only decades but centuries now. Striking them off the catalogue of crimes – will this not send the message to Philippine society that now, sexual liaisons and dalliances with persons other than with one’s spouse are now allowed? How can such a legislative proposal protect and strengthen the family as a basic social institution?” he said. (PNA)