Divorce in the Philippines, bishops: 'Let us not imitate others, let us reflect on the consequences'

Bishops' Conference president Bishop David issued a pastoral statement on the ongoing debate in the country, the last to not have a law recognising this institution. "We are also the only one to have a Constitution that places the family as the foundation of the nation. The Church respects the autonomy of parliament. "But consider also the statistics on the failure rates of marriages in countries where this law exists".

Manila (AsiaNews) - The fact of being practically the last country in the world not to have a divorce law does not in itself mean that the Philippines should also jump on the bandwagon. And above all - also in light of the experience of other countries - it does not make it any less necessary to reflect on the consequences of adopting this institution. This was written by the president of the Bishops' Conference of the Philippines, Bishop Pablo Virgilio David of Caloocan, in a pastoral statement entitled "A nation founded on the family, a family founded on marriage" issued on behalf of all the country's bishops in the aftermath of their Assembly.

The statement is part of the ongoing debate after the lower house of the Philippine parliament passed legislation in May that would establish divorce, and the Senate is also expected to debate the issue. "We are the last country in the world that has not yet legalised divorce. Should we therefore join the bandwagon? We certainly can if we want to," writes Msgr. David. "Despite what some zealots might think, in this country we have religious freedom and we uphold the principle of separation of Church and State. The Church is not in a position to dictate to the State what is best for Filipino families. We know that our stubborn assertion that a genuine marriage cannot be dissolved is not necessarily shared by all religions, and we respect that. But still, should we not ask ourselves, based on research and statistics, whether the legalisation of divorce around the world has actually helped protect the common good and the well-being of the family?"

Quoting the typical expression in the Tagalog language maghunosdili muna tayo at mag-isip-isip ("let us keep calm and question ourselves"), the prelate invites everyone to reflect on their own experience. "Think about how many times," he writes, "your father has slept 'outside the kulambo' or your mother has packed up and taken you with her to her parents' house because of a misunderstanding between the two of them. Think what might have happened to your family if civil divorce had been available when you were much younger and your parents were going through serious problems in their relationship? While it is true that some marriages may already be irretrievable, is it not equally true that going through marital crises is almost normal for all married couples and need not end too quickly with a separation? Shouldn't we also listen to the stories of couples who have experienced crises in their marital relationship and who, after many years, look back and realise that their bond had not broken down?".

The President of the Philippine Bishops' Conference cites statistics showing that in countries where civil divorce is law, 'the failure rate for the first marriage is about 48%, 60% for the second and 70% for the third. Are we sure,' he asks, 'that we want to include our families in this sad statistic?' At the same time, he points out that it is lay people and not celibate people like bishops and priests who must take the lead in this debate. "We respect the legislative bodies of our country and the duty of our honourable legislators to make just laws that truly serve the common good. We can only hope and pray that they consider the gravity of the task entrusted to them and the need to engage citizens in serious conversations about the implications of the laws they enact."

He says it is perhaps no coincidence that the Philippines is the only country that does not yet have a divorce law. "Although our families are not perfect," he comments, "perhaps we should be proud of the strong testimonial value of having a provision in our Philippine Constitution that states: 'The State recognises the Filipino family as the foundation of the nation. Accordingly, it shall strengthen its solidarity and actively promote its total development' (Article XV, Section 1). Is there any other nation in the world that declares in its Constitution that the family is the foundation of the nation and that 'marriage, as an inviolable social institution, is the foundation of the family and must be protected by the State'? (Art. XV, Section 2)'.

Bishop David challenges the idea that there are no legal remedies for failing marriages in the Philippines. "Should not the institutions of Church and State," he adds, "explore more effective ways to maximise these remedies without 'throwing the baby out with the bathwater'? And he recalls how the absence of divorce should be "one more reason for couples to think twice or three times before entering into a civilly binding marriage commitment, precisely because of the value we place on the family as the foundation of society's society".

Finally, the prelate invites us to reflect on the thought expressed by Pope Francis in number 246 of the apostolic exhortation Amoris Laetitia: 'Helping to heal the wounds of parents and welcoming them spiritually,' writes Francis in that passage, addressed to countries where the divorce law is in force, 'is also good for the children, who need the familiar face of the Church to welcome them in this traumatic experience. Divorce is an evil, and the growth in the number of divorces is very worrying. That is why, without a doubt, our most important pastoral task with regard to families is to strengthen love and help heal wounds, so that we can prevent this drama of our time from spreading'.

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