DAGUPAN CITY–Marital infidelity has particular relevance to those who hold power and influence, according to Lingayen-Dagupan Archbishop Oscar Cruz.

Cruz said in a statement yesterday that marital infidelity appears to be becoming a non-issue among more and more individuals. For husbands and wives to engage in extramarital affairs seems to be a reality that is taken as a matter of course, he said.

He said provided it is kept discreet and it is not exposed, then the practice simply goes on.

"This gross misdeed of husbands and wives being unfaithful to one another has particular relevance to those who hold power and influence, who have the means and the occasion to have and to hold, i.e., to finance third party partners. It really does not matter if these are simultaneously or successively kept and funded," the senior prelate said.

He said it might be good to attentively consider the real significance and grave implications of marital infidelity—even if only to clear-up a truth of long standing relevant to the mandate of husband and wife fidelity. Mutual spousal commitment is but according to the dictate of reason, he said and
among other shameful and painful realities, marital infidelity:

"Deadends the conscience of the guilty part as well as that of his or her occasional or kept woman or man respectively. Conscience is in effect more deeply drowned when the two erring persons are both married," he said.

He added," Violates the marriage vows pronounced officially and publicly. If someone can sweep aside such a serious and profound commitment, what oath, promise or word of honor can he or she not more easily disregard and discard?"

Cruz said marital infidelity destroys human dignity, integrity and honesty.

"An unfaithful spouse shamelessly cheats and lies, infallibly deceives and misappropriates funds and time. Such a spouse may not in sincerity and truth claim walking the high moral ground," he said.

Cruz concluded that " Unfaithful spouses have dark secrets to hide, big shame to cover, profound duplicity to live".

"These they very well know and feel—even if others adulate and bow down to them, flatter and applaud them, and even if they in fact know the truth about their disgraceful infidelity," he said.