Catholic Church in Divorce

The Philippines, with an 82 percent Catholic population, is the only place in the world where divorce remains illegal and the Catholic Church would like to see it remain that way. The citizens are already tired of the

Catholic Church always getting in the way of everything. It’s not just the proposed divorce law but also the reproductive health bill. Thus, a bill that would like to legalize divorce in the Philippines is already moving through the government.

As what I said in my previous blog, a bill seeking legalization of divorce in the Philippines was already filed August last year. “It is to introduce divorce as another option for failed and irreparable marriages.”

The church is always saying that the legalization of divorce will just destroy family and destroy children. Archbishop Ledesma said that legalizing divorce would tear down the moral fiber of society, stressing that marriage was a social contract.

In this legalization of divorce, women are usually the ones pushing it to be permitted because they are the ones usually suffering and not the males. The Catholic Church said that it is against the bible and legalizing something that is immoral will not just make it right but will make it worse. But did they ever think of women who are beaten and abused by their husbands? They can’t leave their husband because divorce is not allowed.

Here’s a story of a woman who was asking if they could remarry. One woman, she sounded a bit old; I think she’s around 50 years of age asking an advice on a radio program.

She said, “My husband disappeared 20 years ago and my children and I have never heard from him again. I have a man who cares for me very much, and I’d like to know, can we get married?”

The girl from the radio said “No, because you are not a widow and you are still married to your husband.”

Here’s another story. A husband abandoned his wife for many years and she fell in love with a new guy. When the husband found out, he sued the wife for adultery. After having abandoned her for years, he still has the right to dictate her life? That is unfair right.

The church cannot dictate and oppose about the proposed divorce law in the Philippines. There are many couples there who just cannot live together with their wife or husband and the church doesn't have the right to be involved.

Here’s what a student from ADMU said about the Church being involved in this:

“The Philippine Catholic church should not dictate any family decision any person could make. Can they do anything to a wife being beaten daily by a drunk husband, and God forbid, get murdered by the drunk husband? These women’s blood is in the Catholic Priest’s hands. I feel for all the women that are victims of such brutality. What hope do these women have to rebuild their lives and have normal/legal relationships. Not moving on with the Divorce in the Philippines is an injustice to us all women who are obviously classified as second class citizens.”