VATICAN AND PHILIPPINES: THE LAST 2 SOVERIGN STATES WITH NO DIVORCE

Photo: Dawn Keiser / Pinterest

Photo: Pinterest

Introduction

The United States, like most countries have divorce law, but there's two are remain skeptical, Vatican, the heart of Catholicism and the Philippines, the largest Christianity in Asia. We all know that Divorce is a complex decision, from state to religious.

Divorce vs. Alternatives

In the Philippines, Divorce is legally permitted for Muslim Filipinos under the Code of Muslim Personal Laws. Additionally, the state recognizes certain foreign divorces involving a Filipino spouse and a foreign national. Non-Muslim Filipinos can only end marriages through annulment or a declaration of nullity, processes often criticized for being lengthy and expensive. Legislative efforts to legalize divorce are ongoing. While the House of Representatives passed the "Absolute Divorce Bill" in May 2024, it has faced significant opposition in the Senate and from the Catholic Church. Recent surveys show that 50% to 60% of Filipinos now support the legalization of divorce.

Because the Vatican City is the ecclesiastical theocracy, it does not provide for civil divorce. Marriage is governed by canon law, which allows for a declaration of nullity (finding the marriage was never validly formed) rather than the dissolution of a valid bond. 

Criticism

The Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) and the Holy See offer several key criticisms against the introduction of absolute divorce: The CBCP argues that divorce is "anti-family, anti-marriage, and anti-children". They contend it traumatizes children by allowing "total strangers" (new spouses) into their lives and destroys unions that could otherwise be saved through dialogue. Church leaders caution against following global trends simply for the sake of modernity, urging Filipinos to prioritize the "common good" over "easy" separation.

Both the Vatican and the Philippine Church maintain that annulment and legal separation are adequate remedies for broken marriages, as they address grievances without dissolving the sacred bond of marriage. Critics in the Philippines argue that a divorce law violates the 1987 Constitution, which mandates the state to protect the "sanctity of marriage" as the foundation of the family. 

Archbishop Paul Gallagher, the Vatican's foreign minister, stated in 2024 that the issue of the Absolute Divorce Act is a matter for the Philippine bishops and political leaders to decide. While Pope Francis has been quoted saying separation can be "morally necessary" in cases of extreme abuse (to protect the weaker spouse or children), the Vatican clarifies this refers to separation, not the dissolution of the marriage bond itself. 

Reference

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‌Divorce remains banned in Catholic-majority Philippines. (2025, January 19). Fact Check. https://factcheck.afp.com/doc.afp.com.36TK9BU

‌Asian Journal Newsroom. (2026, February 11). Philippines and Vatican City are the only sovereign states without general civil divorce laws — Across the Islands. Asian Journal News. https://asianjournal.com/philippines/across-the-islands/philippines-and-vatican-city-are-the-only-sovereign-states-without-general-civil-divorce-laws/

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‌II, P. E. (2024, July 11). CBCP on divorce: Church cannot “dictate,” but Filipinos need discernment. RAPPLER. https://www.rappler.com/philippines/catholic-bishops-conference-statement-divorce-bill-july-2024/

‌Vatican News. (2024, July 12). Philippine Catholic bishops caution against rush to legalize divorce, cite family values. Vaticannews.va; Vatican News. https://www.vaticannews.va/en/church/news/2024-07/philippines-catholic-bishops-caution-against-legalizing-divorce.html

‌Domingues, C., & Gabriel, P. (2024, June 10). Did Pope Francis say Divorce can be morally necessary? The City and the World. https://thecityandtheworld.com/did-pope-francis-say-divorce-can-be-morally-necessary-2/

‌https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1228127