Pope Francis: 'Devaluation' of Marriage Will Affect Everyone, Especially Children

Pope Francis called on people to protect the covenant of marriage, warning that the "devaluation" of marriage will affect everyone, most especially the children.

"When the stable and fruitful covenant between a man and a woman is devalued by society, it is a loss for everyone, especially the young," said the Pontiff during his general audience at the Vatican on Wednesday.

"For all our sins and weaknesses, our vocation is to care for the covenant of marriage. It is a vital and energizing vocation, through which we cooperate with our heavenly Father, who himself always cares for and protects this great gift," the Pope said.

Continuing his catechesis on family and recalling the story of Adam and Eve, the Pope said men and women are "complementary" to each other, News.va, the Official Vatican Network, reported.

"Man and woman are created to live a life of reciprocity, to enter into a covenant together," Pope Francis said.

The Pope pointed to sin as the cause of the destruction of marriages, the result of which is oppression, especially against women.

"Yet sin introduces discord into their relationship, lack of trust and suspicion. We see throughout history the fruit of this sin, especially towards women – oppression, violence and exploitation," he said.

"Mistrust and skepticism" have led people to devalue marriage, the Pope added.

"Most recently, this mistrust and skepticism has led our culture to disregard the marriage covenant between a man and a woman, that covenant which deepens communion and safeguards the dignity of their uniqueness."

The "first big blow" to the "global church" on the issue of divorce came in 1970, when Italy legalized divorce, despite the objection of the Vatican, Foreign Policy wrote. Brazil also made divorce legal in 1977, Spain in 1981, Argentina in 1987, Ireland in 1997, and Chile in 2004.

"For its part, the global church has been steadily losing ground in the fight against divorce," Foreign Policy reported.

The Philippines, where the Roman Catholic Church is fighting tooth and nail to keep the sanctity of marriage, is now the last country in the world where divorce is illegal.