Catholic priests will not officiate a wedding ceremony of a divorced man or a woman without first obtaining a Declaration of Nullity, which differs from divorce, according to the Catholic Bishops conference of the Philippines (CBCP).
In a pastoral statement, the CBCP reiterated its stand against a divorce bill pending for approval before the 19th Congress.
“Precisely because we believe in the sanctity of marriage, we also believe that not all couples who are married have been ‘joined together by God,’” the CBCP said.
“We can apply this on marriage nullity and re-state the same Gospel passage in the reverse: “What God has not joined together, human beings can separate,” they added.
The bishops called on legislators to enact ”just laws that truly serve the common good.”
Last month, the Lower House approved on the third and final reading a bill that will legalize divorce in the country.
With a vote of 126-109 and 20 abstentions, the lawmakers passed the bill seeking to institute absolute divorce as an alternative means of dissolving an irreparably broken or dysfunctional marriage in the country.
“We can only hope and pray that they consider the gravity of the task entrusted to them and the need to engage the citizens in serious conversations about the implications of the laws they make,” the CBCP added.
The bishops emphasized that being the last country in the world without divorce does not mean the Philippines should rush to join the bandwagon.
They also highlighted the importance of understanding whether divorce has effectively protected the common good and family welfare worldwide.
