Prayer rally vs divorce bill set in Cebu

MANILA, Philippines — The Archdiocese of Cebu will hold a prayer rally on July 27 to oppose the passage of a measure legalizing divorce in the Philippines.

The archdiocese said it would submit to the Senate more than 120,000 signatures of Catholic Cebuanos signifying their opposition to the passage of the Absolute Divorce Bill. 

According to the CBCPNews, the news service of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines, the archdiocese has gathered 122,000 signatures as of Saturday.

The signatures, along with a position paper, will be submitted to the Senate, where the proposed divorce bill is pending. 

Among the signatories are members of parishes under the jurisdictions of the Archdiocese of Cebu.

The archdiocese said the prayer rally intends to protect the family and the sanctity of marriage.

In a post on Facebook, the Archdiocese of Cebu announced that afternoon masses would be canceled on July 27 to allow Cebuano Catholics to participate in the prayer rally titled “Yes to marriage and family; No to divorce.”

“This is open to the public. You may opt to join the procession and follow any carroza of your choice,” the archdiocese said. 

It said a circular has been sent to all parishes concerning the activity and the suspension of afternoon masses.

The prayer rally will start at 3 p.m. with a procession from the Fuente Osmeña Circle to the Basilica Minore del Sto. Niño de Cebu, where a mass will be officiated by Cebu Archbishop Jose Palma. 

The rally against the legalization of divorce will be conducted in coordination with the Commission on Family and Life.

Aside from the Vatican, the Philippines is the last country that outlaws divorce.