As president of two big lay organizations — the Diocesan Commission on the Laity, and the Diocesan Organization of Renewal Movements & Communities — I was asked by some broadcast media reporters about our stand on the proposed bills on divorce — Senate Bill Nos. 288 and 356 – Instituting Absolute Divorce and Dissolution of Marriage in the Philippines.
These bills were authored by Sen. Pia Cayetano, and the Senate Committee on Women, Children, Family Relations & Gender Equality, chaired by Sen. Rissa Hontiveros.
Our stand then, dated April 12, 2018, and now is the same. We had sent our stand to former Senate President Koko Pimentel. In a letter to me, dated 23 May, his deputy chief of staff confirmed receipt of our Statement signed by about 12,000 individuals who opposed the Senate proposal.
To recall, on March 24 last year, our group organized a symposium called “Marriage and Divorce” with Bishop Julito Cortes, and Msgr. Julius Heruela as speakers, together with Atty. Reymund Jorge Mercado who spoke on An explication of the legal framework on the Divorce Bill and Prof. Evelyn Mascuñana who discussed Studies on the effects of divorce in the experience of the USA and other countries where divorce has been legalized.”
The activity was participated in by leaders of the Parish Pastoral Councils, the different Diocesan organizations, renewal movements and communities of the Diocese of Dumaguete.
The territory of the Diocese of Dumaguete consists of the provinces of Negros Oriental and Siquijor, with the exception of the municipalities of La Libertad and Vallehermoso, and the cities of Guihulngan and Canlaon. The seat of the diocese is the Cathedral of St. Catherine of Alexandria, located at the heart of the City of Dumaguete.
The symposium resulted in the launching of a signature campaign against the proposed Bill from March 24 to April 12. Some 12,000 concerned citizens (comprising the constituents of all three Congressional Districts of Negros Oriental, and the lone congressional district of Siquijor) signed the Statement during the signature campaign.
Then, as now, we strongly oppose the passage of the Philippine Divorce Bill on the following grounds:
First, it is against our Christian faith. Legalizing divorce violates the sacred covenant between man and woman that God has planned and joined together in the Sacrament of Marriage.
Second, it is unnecessary. Remedies are available under existing Philippine laws for families, especially spouses, women, and the children, who are trapped in oppressive unions.
Third, it is devastating to Philippine society. If legislated, divorce can have traumatizing consequences on our conservative society: on the family, on the children, and on the state as shown in the experiences of countries where divorce is legislated.
Apparently, the bill is anti-marriage, anti-family, and anti-children.
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We must always remember that in the beginning, God created male and female. “For this reason, a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh….So they are no longer two but one flesh. Therefore, what God has joined together, no human being must separate.” (Matthew 10:2-9).
Now we are being asked on our take on the proposal that seeks to penalize discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity & expression (SOGIE), more commonly known as the anti-discrimination bill or the equality bill (Senate Bill 689).
We endorse the equal treatment of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgenders because they are definitely not second-class citizens nor social outcasts. Persons with homosexual orientation continue to be children of God. Discriminating against them is contrary to the spirit of the teachings of the church. Verbal and physical violence against them is an offense against God.
We support the anti-discrimination bill. We support the recognition of those belonging to the LGBT community and, of course, to all other Filipino citizens or communities.
At the same time, following our religious beliefs, we cannot encourage persons to choose their gender, orientation, and sexual identity. The church cannot encourage it nor embolden them into performing homosexual acts, among others. Gender is God’s gift. Sexuality and gender must be considered as God’s gifts.
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Author’s email: [email protected]
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