CBCP: Pro-divorce lawmakers tarnished sanctity of family, marriage

“In essence, divorce is anti-family, anti-marriage, and anti-children,” Fr. Jerome Secillano, executive secretary of the CBCP – Episcopal Commission on Public Affairs (ECPA), said in a phone interview. (File photo by Darth Narutorious, CC BY-SA 3.0)

MANILA – Lawmakers in the House of Representatives who voted in favor of the Absolute Divorce Bill have betrayed their constitutional mandate to protect the sanctity of marriage and family, an official of the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) said Thursday.

“In essence, divorce is anti-family, anti-marriage, and anti-children,” Fr. Jerome Secillano, executive secretary of the CBCP – Episcopal Commission on Public Affairs (ECPA), said in a phone interview.

He said legalizing divorce in the Philippines is not necessary.

“The fact remains that divorce is not the ultimate solution to problematic unions. We already have existing legal remedies to couple separation, and yet Congress decided to add more,” he added.

Voting 131 in favor, 109 against and 20 abstentions, the lower chamber on Wednesday approved on third and final reading a measure that will legalize absolute divorce in the Philippines.

The bill seeks to institute absolute divorce as an alternative mode of dissolving an irreparably broken or dysfunctional marriage in the country.

Vatican City and the Philippines are the only two nations in the world that prohibit divorce.