Cebu prelate says divorce will cause more harm, especially to children

CEBU CITY: The Roman Catholic Church in Cebu continued to rally support here to oppose the passage of the absolute divorce bill. Cebu Archbishop Jose Palma released a letter Monday, saying that divorce will not solve broken and irreparable marriages. He likewise stressed that declaration of nullity is sufficient in addressing troubled marriages. 'I appeal to all the faithful of the Archdiocese of Cebu to join hands in our effort to make it known that we do not accept divorce due to the damage it will inflict, not only on us Catholics, but on our values as a nation,' Palma said. The prelate, who leads 4.8 million Catholics in the archdiocese covering the province and three highly urbanized cities, said that divorce may bring more harm, particularly to the children of spouses. 'Be aware that divorce will redefine marriage by eliminating permanent character. It is not true that divorce will not harm anyone. Studies show that children suffer most in a divorce,' the prelate pointed out. The letter was also p rinted on tarpaulins placed on the front gates of Roman Catholic churches in the province. The Philippines is the only country outside the Vatican that does not acknowledge divorce. The House of Representatives has approved the measure but is still pending in the Senate. Source: Philippines News Agency