THE divorce bill has not yet been signed into a law. However, its opponents are now panicking as if the world is ending. Perhaps it isn’t much of an insult to say that many, because of their anxiety, have made a mistake. There is no Divorce Law in the Philippine as of yet. Three House Bills, i.e. 100, 838 and 2263, will still be consolidated. President Rodrigo Duterte’s decision will be instrumental in the legalization of divorce. How he will play his cards would depend on his relationship with the Roman Catholic Church.
Personally, I find it understandable for the bishops to expect all Catholics to respect and observe the Church’s teaching on divorce. It is important to keep in mind though that not all people in the Philippines are Catholic. And though we may argue that around 80 percent in this country are still affiliated with the said Church, there is a likelihood that such membership is to some extent nominal.
The above premise provides us a more realistic context. What I am saying is it should not cause so much of a heartache for Pro-Lifers should they lose in the legal battle in Congress. They lost in 2012 when RA 10354 a.k.a. the RH Law was finally passed. Since then has anything “essentially” changed with the Church in the Philippines? None. It is business as usual. What I am saying therefore is that the lawmakers of the State are simply, on the basis of secular reason, providing Filipino citizens something that is in a way long overdue.
Let’s admit it whether there is divorce or none, if two people would not want to live with each other they will avail of any means to stay away (from each other). Legal separation is an option. A more respectful option (to Church Law) is annulment, which is favorable to some due to the chance of remarriage. Truth to tell however many couples have been seeking annulment not because in reality and in all certainty the marriage is defective. Some, in fact, are looking for a way to make the marriage look defective so that they can get married again. How is this different from divorce in terms of motive or intention?
The proposed legalization of divorce has been around for decades already. The clamor will revive time and again because – as the philosopher G.W.F. Hegel would say, “each idea will have its own time.” Is this (divorce) an idea whose time has come? It may be premature to say so. But if it will come, it will. Hopefully, I won’t be misinterpreted on this. But what I am saying is that for those who’d want divorce they will look for ways to get it. Their religion may try to stop them, but I’m sure it can’t. The separation of the Church of England (Anglicanism) should teach us this lesson.
Soon, the Philippines will have a divorce law. This is my fearless forecast. If we are truly Christian, however, the law should not faze us. Christianity after all exists because of the belief in the redeeming power of Him who gave his life for the salvation of all. If there is anything constant in the life of the Christian, it is the very person to whom such a Christian-ness is committed. The Church, its laws, and its leaders are all relative to the name of Him in whom “we live and move and have our being.”
And as the noise heightens to the point of probably losing arguments in the middle of a debate, we better console ourselves with what Pope Francis says:
“We also need to be humble and realistic, acknowledging that at times the way we present our Christian beliefs and treat other people has helped contribute to today’s problematic situation. We need a healthy dose of self-criticism . . . At times we have also proposed a far too abstract and almost artificial theological ideal of marriage, far removed from the concrete situations and practical possibilities of real families. This excessive idealization, especially when we have failed to inspire trust in God’s grace, has not helped to make marriage more desirable and attractive, but quite the opposite” (Amoris Laetitia, 36).