Catholic youth leaders oppose divorce bill

Filipino Catholic youth leaders expressed their opposition to the controversial divorce bill, saying it will undermine the sanctity of marriage. According to a news article on the Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines (CBCP), diocesan Catholic youth coordinators fear the bill will erode the family-centered Filipino culture. "This bill gives way to a mentality that we can now choose anybody to wed since if it will not work out, we can easily divorce our partner. The sacredness of marriage is then disrespected," said Jonathan Luciano, 32, Regional Youth Representative of Central Luzon. Discussions on the divorce bill resumed after Malta, a largely Catholic country, voted for the legalization of divorce in a referendum in May. Once divorce becomes legal in Malta, the Philippines will become the only country in the world where divorce is illegal. The divorce bill in PHL The divorce bill in the Philippines proposes five grounds for divorce, including psychological incapacity, failure to comply with essential marital obligations, and irreconcilable differences. The proposed bill allows only couples that have been separated for five years and those already legally separated for two years to file for divorce. Presently, the Philippines only recognizes legal separation and annulment. "If the excuse to undergo divorce is ‘psychological incapacity,’ how can the other party continue to ‘function normally’ when he/she is already incapacitated?" asked Raymond Alvarez, 26, diocesan youth coordinator of San Pablo. Youths supporting the divorce bill However, some youths favor the passage of the divorce bill. Gregory Balondo, a 21-year old University of the Philippines student, said the bill will benefit couples “who are not meant to be." “I believe there are troubled couples who have already been to/attended counseling, marriage encounters etc, but still end up troubled because of personal differences," he said. - VVP, GMA News