Cebu - Archbishop Jose Palma of the Roman Catholic Church in Cebu led a significant anti-divorce march and prayer rally on Saturday, urging Filipinos to take pride in the country's stance against divorce, which aims to preserve the sanctity of marriage and family.
According to Philippines News Agency, the Philippines' historical and cultural roots in Christianity, dating back to 1521 when Cebu became the cradle of Christianity in Asia, reinforce the nation’s opposition to divorce. He articulated this view during a Holy Mass at the Basilica Minore del Sto. Niño, emphasizing that Filipinos should not feel apologetic for the absence of divorce laws in the country.
The anti-divorce sentiment is timely as the absolute divorce bill, which has passed the House of Representatives and is now pending in the Senate, stirs national debate. Palma criticized the bill as superfluous, arguing that current laws adequately provide mechanisms to dissolve marriages legally in the Philippines. He expressed concerns that legalizing divorce could lead to repeated marital dissolutions by individuals exploiting the system.
Monsignor Raul Go, head of the Archdiocese of Cebu’s matrimonial tribunal, echoed Palma's concerns at the rally, suggesting that divorce would transform the concept of marriage from a lifelong commitment to a provisional arrangement. He warned that this could undermine the foundational role of family in society.
Adding a legal perspective, former Supreme Court Chief Justice Hilario Davide Jr. passionately spoke against the divorce bill, calling the prayer rally a crusade to protect the institution of marriage and the societal values it supports.
The campaign against the divorce bill includes a signature drive across various parishes in Cebu, which has already gathered over 170,000 signatures. These signatures will be presented to the Senate as a tangible representation of public sentiment against the bill.