Civil recognition for church annulment sought by these two solons
Tingog Party-list Reps. Yedda Romualdez and Jude Acidre want church-facilitated annulments to be legally recognized by civil courts.
As per House Bill (HB) 1593, “Whenever a marriage duly and legally solemnized by a priest, imam, rabbi or presiding elder of an established church or religion in the Philippines which is subsequently annulled, dissolved or declared a nullity in a final judgment or decree in accordance with the canons and precepts of the church or religious sect, shall have the same effect as a decree of annulment, dissolution or declaration of nullity issued by a competent court,” the authors wrote.
“The Family Code of the Philippines recognizes as valid a marriage solemnized under the laws of the Church. If marriages so solemnized are recognized by the State, it is only proper that the very church that solemnized the marriage should also have the power to rule that attendant infirmity that rendered a marriage null, and its effects binding on the State,” read the explanatory note of the bill.
The party-list lawmakers filed the proposed Church Nullity Act of 2022 last July 7. It is currently pending with the House Committee on Population and Family Relations.
Romualdez and Acidre based their measure on Pope Francis’s apostolic letter motu proprio titled the “Mitis Iudex Dominus Iesus". The letter seeks a quicker procedure for the church annulment, which is typically a tedious and costly process.
The measure also allows both of the former spouses to remarry with respect to Article 52 of the Family Code of the Philippines.
“Art. 52. The judgment of annulment or of absolute nullity of the marriage, the partition and distribution of the properties of the spouses and the delivery of the children’s presumptive legitimes shall be recorded in the appropriate civil registry and registries of property; otherwise, the same shall not affect third persons,” the Family Code read.
“Art. 53. Either of the former spouses may marry again after compliance with the requirements of the immediately preceding Article; otherwise, the subsequent marriage shall be null and void,” it added.