Catholic Church Relents, Okays Divorce When One Party is Deceased

(Quezon City) – In a major victory for divorce proponents in the Philippines, the influential Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines has agreed to drop its objection to couples divorcing when one of them is already dead, paving the way for passing the long-awaited Divorce Law in the country.

The Philippines and the Vatican are the only two countries in the world that has no law regarding divorce procedures for married couples.

Divorce in the Philippines is absolutely forbidden even in death and women whose husbands died are required by law to be buried together with their deceased spouses, while husbands have often escaped this legal requirement by bribing corrupt local officials.

According to its text, the Divorce Bill is meant to liberate women from abusive relationships and help them “regain their dignity and avoid an untimely demise” in case their husbands die before them.

Bowing to public pressure, the Catholic Church’s acquiescence has been hailed by women’s rights advocates throughout the country even as conservative lawmakers and religious groups vow to continue the fight against the divorce bill that is making its way through the House of Representatives.

“This is a big victory for women’s liberation,” said Cecille Goldberg-Cuenco, leader of the lobby group Divorce-4-Filipinos. “But we still have a long way to go until absolute equality.”

Photo: Senator Francis Escudero argues against divorce.

Senator Francis Escudero, a vocal proponent of wives being buried with their deceased husbands, has repeatedly warned that the bill will increase spousal homicide, as desperate women might take the law into their own hands and devise ways to kill their husbands to escape abusive marriages.

“We already have marriage annulment laws in the Philippines,” explained Escudero. “Women throughout the country already have access to this legal procedure to leave abusive relationships. Of course, the annulment process should be finalized before their husbands die. Otherwise, they will have no choice but to join their spouses in their journey to the afterlife.”