House Bill (HB 9349), otherwise known as the Absolute Divorce Act, was finally approved by the House of Representatives on its third and final reading last Wednesday, May 22, 2024. According to the news, there were 131 votes in favor of the bill, 109 negative votes, and 20 abstentions. It is sad to note that the author of this Satanic Bill is a Bicolano. I just wonder what if his parents got divorced before he was born. He could not bring such a disgrace to mostly God-fearing Bicolanos.
What happens next? Married couples who are in an irreparable marriage can now legally file for a divorce. This is truly clear. This HB 9349 can now dissolve a valid marriage. So, a husband or a wife who gets entangled in a disastrous marriage can finally save himself or herself from all the problems in their marriage. Indeed, a way out of the troubles, disillusionments, abuses, and all other marital evils. I believe a man, or a woman should not have entered a marital union without accepting by heart that marriage is not always easy, peaceful, and abundant. There are problems and there will be always problems in marriage, just in any other relationships, because we are not perfect. What about the Nuptial Prayer that every married couple prayed together during their wedding ceremonies?
“I take you to be my wife/husband, to have and to hold from this day forward, for better for worse, for richer for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, until death do us part, according to God’s holy law. I make this vow in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.”
I always admired this nuptial prayer every time I officiate at wedding ceremonies. I rely on the couple’s commitment in their prayer, and I pray with them and for them that this prayer will become the strongest bond that will bind them together until death. I am sure that all married couples prayed this prayer seriously, freely, and consciously. Now, the temptation for them to become traitors to their prayer has been opened by this Satanic Bill! Of course, we are aware of the problems in and out of marriage. But, without this House Bill, married couples may hold on to their marriage because there is no other option to choose from. There is no other option but to be true to their marital vows and to the nuptial prayer that they uttered together before God.
We are living in an imperfect world, and we all know it. Problems can arise between a man and a woman who used to be so in love with each other. Love is still perfect, and if we will only cling to that love that we promised to give to our beloved one, I am hopeful that we will win and preserve that marriage until our last breath. Love is perfect, but lovers are imperfect. However, this imperfection is not a reason for anyone within the sanctity of marriage to just throw it away like garbage.
In his Gospel, St. Matthew states that: “What God has joined together, no human being must separate.” We can hear this in every wedding celebration and these words were spoken by the Lord himself in answer to the Pharisees who tried to test him regarding the legality of divorce. Just some days ago, our “honorable men” in Congress finally approved the House Bill proposed by Satan himself. If you no longer fear the wrath of God, I ask you to be merciful to the real victims of this misguided law, your children, the children who are God’s own children.
Annulment of marriage is accepted in the Church because, unlike divorce, the effect of declaring a marriage void is retroactive, meaning that the marriage was void at the time it was entered. On the other hand, divorce is a formal ending of a valid marriage. It means that the couple validly entered their marriage, there was no impediments whatsoever during the time of their marriage. But because of problems, irreparable damages that they have created after their marriage, divorce is the option for them to legally get their freedom from their marriage. Yes, the husband or the wife, or both will be freed from the monsters in their marriage and save the rest of their lives for their own concept of happiness. The sad fact is that their children will be the ones to suffer the ill-effects of their broken marriage.
Our Lord Jesus was born into a family. If we will summarize the Bible, the simple message is to gather us all as one family in Christ. Everything begins within the confines of a family, and we can feel that all the graces from God is given to families rooted to their faith. Understandably, the devil will attack the family subtly under the pretext of women’s right, the right to life, the care of children, the laws on the protection of women and children, and now the absolute divorce bill. Can we say that Satan is winning? Of course not, and he will never win! But, for those who embrace Satan, be ready to be roasted in his fiery kingdom of lies and deceit.
One final note, for you who are planning to get married soon, please be serious in your decisions. Marriage is a gift from God, so please treat your marriage as one of the best gifts coming from him. Love your spouse with the love that Christ had shown us, a love that is ready to be offered even at the foot of the cross. A selfless love that can bleed for the sake of the beloved. If you cannot be serious in your decisions, then, please do not enter marriage because it is not meant for you.