The world has undeniably experienced a profound cultural transformation. Today, self-expression and individuality — even in matters of gender and identity — are celebrated as rights to be respected. People are encouraged to live authentically, to reveal the truth of who they are in fashion, language, and lifestyle, without the crippling fear of judgment that once prevailed. Properly understood, this freedom reflects the Christian conviction that each person is created in the image and likeness of God and therefore possesses inherent dignity. To live truthfully is to honor the Creator who fashioned us uniquely and lovingly.

Yet for all this progress, some still wrestle with the tension between societal expectation and the call to integrity. The recent Supreme Court decision in Jaaziel M. Salva-Roldan v. Lory O. Roldan, et al. (G.R. No. 268109, 3 March 2025) illustrates how costly it can be when fear or pressure prevails over truth.

In that case, Jaaziel sought annulment of her marriage after her husband Lory revealed — only during the marriage — that he was homosexual. Throughout their married life, Jaaziel observed a persistent distance: no affectionate touch, no welcome of intimacy. When finally confronted, Lory admitted the reality he had long concealed. To Jaaziel, whose understanding of marriage was rooted in fidelity and openness, such deception struck at the heart of the sacrament. Feeling betrayed, she turned to the courts.

The trial court and the Court of Appeals initially dismissed her petition, but the Supreme Court reversed. It held that Lory’s deliberate concealment of his sexuality constituted fraud that vitiated Jaaziel’s consent. Under Philippine law, and consistent with Catholic teaching on the sanctity of consent, a marriage entered into without full and honest disclosure is no true covenant. The Court rightly recognized that a sacramental bond cannot be built on falsehood.

Beyond its legal significance, the case is a cautionary tale about the spiritual cost of denying one’s God-given identity and the duty to live in truth. Lory, a 31-year-old bachelor, may have felt the weight of family and social expectation. Yet by suppressing the reality of his situation and entering a union contrary to his own state of life, he betrayed not only himself but also the spouse he vowed to cherish. Saint Augustine reminds us that “the truth is like a lion; you don’t have to defend it. Let it loose; it will defend itself.” To hide the truth, especially in so sacred a matter as marriage, is to invite suffering for all involved.

Catholic teaching holds that marriage is a covenant and a sacrament: a freely chosen, faithful and fruitful union. It demands total self-gift — body, mind, and soul. Where such gift is withheld through deception, the very essence of the sacrament is absent. Our civil law, though grounded in secular authority, reflects this moral principle when it declares fraudulent concealment a ground for annulment. It is an earthly echo of a divine reality: that the covenant of marriage requires the light of truth.

As Congress debates the Divorce Bill and the nation reflects on the evolving norms of family life, this case is a reminder that authentic freedom is not license to hide or to pretend. True freedom is the courage to live in the truth of how God calls us. Self-expression, when rightly ordered, is not self-indulgence but an act of fidelity to the Creator’s design.

The journey toward authenticity is never easy, but it is essential. To be true to oneself — as God has made us — is to walk in the light. Anything less, no matter how well-intentioned, leads only to heartache. In the end, being faithful to the truth is not only priceless; it is the surest path to the peace that Christ promises to those who live in His love.