By LiCAS.news
The Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) on Jul 11 issued a pastoral statement that addresses the ongoing debate on civil divorce in the country, urging a cautious and reflective approach before adopting such legislation.
The statement, titled ‘A Nation Founded on Family, A Family Founded on Marriage,’ underscores the Church’s adherence to the sanctity of marriage and poses critical questions about the societal impacts of divorce.
Bishop Pablo Virgilio S. David, President of the CBCP, emphasized the Church’s position that while they respect the legislative bodies and the principle of separation of Church and State, the decision to introduce divorce should not be taken lightly.
He noted that the Philippines remains the last country in the world, except from the Vatican City, without legal civil divorce, asking, ‘Should we therefore join the bandwagon?’
The bishops also raised concerns about the statistical likelihood of failed marriages, citing the “failure rate for first marriage is roughly 48%, 60% for second, and 70% for third marriages,” according to the National Center for Health Statistics.
They argued that these statistics should prompt deeper consideration about the long-term effects of legalizing divorce.
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