In a pastoral statement issued on Thursday, July 11, Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) President Pablo Virgilio David reiterated the church’s stance on marriage amid ongoing discussions about legalizing civil divorce in the country.

In the statement titled “A Nation Founded on Family, A Family Founded on Marriage,” David emphasized the sanctity of marriage invoking the Gospel passage from Matthew 19:6, which read, “What God has joined together, let no one separate.”

“The Catholic Church has not given up on this teaching of Jesus, even in countries where civil divorce is already legal. Therefore, even in countries where civil divorce is legal, Catholics still cannot simply get remarried in Church unless they file for a declaration of nullity of their previous bond of marriage—which is not the same as divorce,” he said.

With the Philippines being the last country worldwide without a legal provision for civil divorce, David asked the public: "Should we join the global trend?"

He pointed out the importance of religious freedom and the separation of Church and State, adding that the Church does not seek to impose its beliefs on civil legislation.

But as the Filipino adage says, “maghunosdili muna tayo at mag-isip-isip” (let's keep our cool and reflect), David cautioned against hasty decisions regarding an Absolute Divorce Law in the country.

“Do we really want it for ourselves? Do we really want to make it easy for civilly-married couples to have their marriages civilly dissolved when they ‘want out’ already, or when they don’t ‘feel like it’ anymore?” the CBCP head asked.

“While it is true that some marriages might indeed be beyond repair already, isn’t it just as true that going through times of marital crisis is almost a normal thing for all married couples and need not end too quickly in a parting of ways? Shouldn’t we also listen to the stories of couples that have crises related to their marital relationship and, after many years have looked back, realized that their bond had not been shattered? That it had actually been strengthened by the crises?” he further asked.

David urged Filipinos to consider the implications of divorce on family dynamics, citing personal challenges that could have been exacerbated had divorce been an option in earlier times.

Highlighting statistical data, he pointed out that countries with legal divorce often experience high failure rates in subsequent marriages.

David acknowledged the ongoing debate, commending lay ecclesial movements and family-oriented organizations for leading discussions on the advantages and disadvantages of divorce legalization.

He also acknowledged the efforts of the country’s legislators to come up with just laws that truly serve the common good.

“We can only hope and pray that they [legislators] consider the gravity of the task entrusted to them and the need to engage the citizens in serious conversations about the implications of the laws they make,” David said.

He also emphasized the Church's role in promoting reasoned discourse without imposing its views on civil legislation.

“As spiritual and moral leaders of the Church, we can only propose but never impose. We can only motivate our faithful to actively participate in reasoned public discourse as citizens. And so before we jump into the divorce bandwagon, before we end up regretting it and hearing those who dared to swim against the current, ‘But we told you so!’ can we just take a little more time and ask—could there be a reason why we are practically the last remaining country in the world that still has not opted to legalize civil divorce?” he said.

David reaffirmed the Church's commitment to supporting families experiencing marital difficulties, citing Pope Francis' pastoral exhortation “Amoris Laetitia.”

He also noted the foundational role of marriage in society, citing Article XV of the Philippine Constitution which recognizes the family as the basic social institution.