CEBU CITY – The head of the Roman Catholic Church in Cebu said Filipinos must be proud that they belong to the lone nation that opposes divorce in order to preserve marriage and family.
Archbishop Jose Palma led thousands of faithful in an anti-divorce march and prayer rally from the Basilica Minore del Sto. Niño on Saturday.
He said the stand of Filipinos against divorce is rooted in history as Cebu was the cradle of Christianity in Asia starting in 1521.
“Don’t be ashamed that we don’t have divorce in the Philippines. We should not be apologetic. We should not feel sorry,” Palma said in his homily during the Holy Mass for the family at the basilica’s Pilgrim Center to culminate the first prayer rally.
According to Palma, the absolute divorce bill that offers a resolution to couples with irreconcilable differences is “superfluous” since the country has existing laws that sever marriage bonds.
The bill has been approved by the House of Representatives but is pending in the Senate.
Palma said divorce will favor an “adulterous” individual who will be given numerous times to seek divorce and marry again and again.
Msgr. Raul Go, head of the Archdiocese of Cebu’s matrimonial tribunal, said divorce would bolster the vicious cycle of marriage.
In his talk during the prayer rally, Go said divorce would change the meaning of marriage from its original concept of committing to being together “until death” to becoming a “contract until further notice.”
“Divorce will create a cycle of divorce, destroying the sanctity of marriage… Marriage is the foundation of the family, family is the foundation of society. Divorce will destroy family, divorce will destroy society,” he said.
Former Supreme Court chief justice Hilario Davide Jr. also urged the faithful to continue the fight until the measure is “buried forever.”
“Our prayer rally this afternoon is a great crusade against all and any move to destroy, demonize, and make mockery of the inviolable institution of marriage, sanctity of family, and our nation founded on family. Let us continue this crusade until absolute divorce is buried forever,” he said.
Palma said the signature campaign in different parishes in the province will continue.
More than 170,000 have so far signed the petition against the divorce bill.
The petition will be submitted to the Senate. (PNA)
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