Ateneo theologians: Divorce should only be the last resort

An organization of theologians at the Ateneo de Manila University (ADMU) said the proposed Absolute Divorce Bill in Congress is a “public policy issue, not a theological one”.

In a statement, the KU Leuven-Ateneo Center for Catholic Theology and Social Justice said the church “must not lose sight of the reality of the struggles that married couples and families experience in their daily lives”.

“Having no divorce law in our country does not mean that we are already upholding and promoting the sanctity of marriage,” the group said. 

“At the same time, supporting and having a divorce law does not necessarily mean we are endangering the institution of marriage,” it said.

The organization added: “While not ideal, divorce as contemplated by the authors of the bill is only for irreparable marriages. Catholics who are in healthy marriages and are against it are not compelled to get one”.

The House of Representatives approved House Bill 9349, or the Absolute Divorce Bill, on third and final reading on May 22.

Under the proposed Absolute Divorce bill, the grounds for divorce will include all the grounds for legal separation, annulment of marriage and nullity of marriage with major additions, on top of allowing remarriage.

The group pointed out the Church’s lack of programs to prepare couples before they get married, saying that there is a lack of “adequate safeguards” prevent individuals who are not ready for marriage, adequate marriage preparation, and parishes lack programs that are responsive to the concerns of married couples.

Lack of church programs for couples

After a couple separates, there should be a continuing program that offers them support or services.

“The Synod Fathers noted that “special discernment” is indispensable for pastoral care of those who are separated, divorced or abandoned,” the group said.

“Respect needs to be shown especially for the sufferings of those who have unjustly endured separation, divorce or abandonment, or those who have been forced by maltreatment by a husband or a wife to interrupt their life together,” the group added.

For its part, the research center urged the Catholic church to listen to the “heartbreaking stories” of abusive marriages as it points to the need for “comprehensive programs that sufficiently prepare those who receive the sacrament and that provide them the necessary support to grow in their married and family life”.

The group also said the church as a community should offer pastoral support to victims of abuse. 

“Our role as a community for the success of any marriage is indispensable,” the organization said. “When we do our part, marriage can truthfully be a commitment for better and for worse.”

“Divorce ought to be only a last resort but we must not stand in the way of those who truly need it,” it added. — BAP, GMA Integrated News