Divorce bill ‘aims to soften Church’

Senator claims proposed legislation will 'intimidate the Catholic Church'

ucanews.com reporter, Manila
Philippines
June 1, 2011

Catholic Church News Image of Divorce bill ‘aims to soften Church’

A Catholic church wedding

A senator yesterday claimed the divorce bill pending in Congress is being used to intimidate the Catholic Church into softening its stance on the controversial reproductive health (RH) bill.

Vicente Sotto III said there seems to be a “political agenda” behind the scheduling of preliminary deliberations at the House of Representatives for the proposal.

Sotto said threats of possibly approving the divorce bill could be used “to weaken the knees” of the Church and force it to give in on the RH bill.

He said he is afraid that pro-RH bill lawmakers will threaten to pass the divorce bill if the Catholic Church continues opposing it.

The divorce bill authors, however, said a divorce law can help put an end to domestic violence prevalent among many married Filipino couples.

“Let us not keep our country in the dark ages. I appeal to my colleagues in Congress to let the legislative mill run its course on the divorce bill without further delay and give Filipino couples in irreparable and unhappy marriages this option,” said one of its sponsors Luz Ilagan.

Bishop Leonardo Medroso of Tagbilaran said divorce has no place in the Philippines.

“The Catholic Church strictly opposes this. What God has joined together, no man can destroy. If the husband and wife have a misunderstanding they should resolve it together,” he said over Church-run Radio Veritas on Tuesday.

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Plapid

Please pray hard for our beloved country. May GOD have mercy on the Philippines. Pray also for the conversion of politicians who promote bills which are against God’s laws. May GOD have mercy on them all.
Anonymous

The Catholic Church seem intent on maximising misery (even to the extent of encouraging population growth beyond a sustainable level). Do you think a God would want that?

The Church does sometimes admit its mistakes (though it may be centuries after the error was made clear to them). If this can happen, then why do you suppose that no couples are mistaken when they decide to marry?
guest

What’s happening in this only Christian nation
in Asia? People go to church in droves
but if you watch them live their lives, you cannot see in them the typical
values attendant to a church going people.
Where is the church that Christ founded to teach people how to live a
life according to HIS teachings?
Kevenman

Its ok to have religion in marriage ,but what protection have women got there against abuse which is continual,also if no love and is violence against the woman then the children suffer expecially when alcohol is involved and abuse of the woman is in front of the children.
Jenmaris2

If values are eroding with government backing, it will backfire one day, for sure.. Phillipines! I have always thought you would be a model for our church, and now I doubt and fear the opposite. Sorry.
Jamlloyd

Maybe every religion wants to stay thier followers together, but this rh and divorce bill again will maybe the test/tools of how they strong of the faith of our christian country…To my countrymen how strong r u in GOD!!!
Eacebryan

why divorce??????… it is done because of some misunderstanding of responsibilities of the parents in the family so before getting involved with marriage make sure u really did get the points on it as well as to its consequences to prevent divorce.. don’t get into marriage if not well- convinced by the feelings you had especially to the partner you want…
gloria

Divorce is the way to allow woman equal rights by not condemning them to life in bad and abusive marriages.Divorce laws would put enforcable child support on the books allowing women to support of their children by the to often husband who refuse to support his children.Murder one can recieve a pardon or parole,but not a woman who in her youth married a bum,she sentenced to life.Its insane in this day and age that any one who has married would think its for life that a pipe dream of old unmarried priest who dare control peoples right to choose if they stay together or force to live in sin with unmarried partners.Without divorce laws no woman should ever marry in the philippines its a life sentence,how uncivilize.Lawmaker care about the women of our nation.
Desiglo130

The problem that we Filipina has now, abandoned, battered by husband needs divorce as a solution to end the problem. At least after divorce we,women can move on and hoping we can find a better life partner. This is a comment from a physicallyand emotionally abused that is still waiting for justice. Therefore I dont believe that my religion can support now my kids and me abandoned
justlyn

Good Day to all.
I got married to a British national in NOV 2006 in angeles pampanga, and after only 3 months he left after we had argument about his real person and never saw him again. He have threatened me through chat and email, financially and emotionally crippled me. When i heard from him late DEC 2007 only to receive email with copy of his marriage certificate to another woman in UK. And when i ask him why did he not get divorce first his reply was he never registered our marriage in UK so no reason for him to file divorce and he does not plan to come back and pay for annulment he wanted me to suffer and not be able to re-marry or have a life. I was told that if he gets divorce in UK it will be honored here. So one time i was able to scare him of bigamy and get him to talk to divorce lawyer in UK but after they sent me draft of proposed divorce and after i sent them documents they ask for i got message from his solicitors saying that my ex or husband did not go back and not pushed through with the case. He knew i do not have the capability to file case because i don’t have enough money, so he just played and fooled me to believing that he was going to take care of it. What kind of law or country do we have if it can not even protect the rights of it’s citizens. I am financially broke, i have one daughter from previous relationship who is in college and can not afford to file annulment or even bigamy since i do not know how he can be persecuted, it has been almost 5 years am suffering from abandonment and not being able to move on and have new life due to our Philippine laws. And because i had been in the news long time ago, i am so ashamed to even file a case afraid of what people might say. I am BEGGING GABRIELA please don’t stop pushing divorce law, and if anyone can help me. I need advice. Is there a way for me to file bigamy and annulment without having to pay big money? Can a PAO help me? I hope that our bishops and priest consider and think of cases like mine before they say NO to divorce. I’ am a catholic, but sometimes I even think of becoming a Muslim just so i can get divorce and have fair chance in life like foreigners do. May God Bless Us All…. Thank you very much..