Church welcomes approval of bill on marriage annulment

Catholic prelates welcomed the approval on third and final reading of House Bill (HB) 6779, which seeks to recognize the civil effects of church-decreed annulment, at the House of Representatives.

Sorsogon Bishop Arturo Bastes said they support the approval of the bill as it is very logical.

“We bishops approve of this good House Bill,” he said in an interview.

“Indeed since the Church is given the authority to perform marriage automatically approved by the state or recognized civilly, it is only very logical that when the Church annuls a marriage, i.e. that there was no valid marriage at all, the state or civil government should also automatically recognize the nullity of the marriage as declared by the Church,” added Bastes.

Balanga Bishop Ruperto Santos also agreed with the proposed measure as it still protects marriage’s stability and sanctity.

“HB 6779 still upholds the indissolubility of marriage,” he said.

The approval of the bill, he said only means that the church declaration of nullity now has same effect with and much weight with civil court decisions.

“The positive effect is just to avoid the costly and long tiring judicial process. And also the church criteria could be the basis for the civil courts deliberation and decision,” Santos said.

HB 6779 provides that whenever a marriage, duly and legally solemnized by a priest, minister, rabbi or presiding elder of any church or religious sect in the Philippines is subsequently annulled, dissolved or declared a nullity in a final judgment or decree in accordance with the canons or precepts of the church or religious sect, the annulment, dissolution or declaration of nullity shall have the same effect as a decree of annulment, dissolution or declaration of nullity issued by a competent court.