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How a married gay Catholic couple live their faith
Because their Catholic faith is against same-sex marriage, Bryan Victor and Thomas Molina-Duarte made their wedding vows this summer before a Protestant minister in a Detroit Episcopal church.
**Those in attendance included many family members, including Victor’s uncle, who is a Catholic priest **and Macomb County pastor. The Rev. Ronald Victor did not officiate but was there because, he told his nephew, the Catholic Church “needs more examples of gay holiness.”
Detroit Archbishop Allen Vigneron said through a spokesman that he couldn’t comment for this story without knowing more specifics about the men. Officially, the archdiocese offers the ministry program Courage, to urge gay Catholics to abstain from sex; and another program, EnCourage, to counsel Catholic families with gay members.
At the men’s wedding ceremony, family was in force.
“They are two very holy guys,” Catholic priest Ronald (Ron) Victor said of his nephew and nephew-in-law.** “I do see their union as being sacred and sacramental,** in the sense that it reflects God’s love.”
To officiate at their wedding could have led to discipline by his superiors. But Ron Victor, the pastor of St. Isidore Catholic parish in Macomb, said he had considered blessing their union privately, although his nephew told him the couple didn’t want anything clandestine or controversial.
The priest and his nephew became close when Ron Victor was assigned to a St. Clair Shores parish, where Bryan attended elementary school. After the school day, instead of going to latchkey to wait for his working parents to pick him up, Bryan went to the rectory.
“It’s been one of those things when somebody you know and love a lot comes out, it kind of changes your perspective,” said Ron Victor.
Ron Victor said he was moved by the wedding ceremony, and at the same time, “a little angry and a little disappointed that we couldn’t do it in a church where I could have officiated.”
He said he believes many priests would be open to blessing same-sex unions, although “they can’t be real public with that.”
Ron Victor said he’s comfortable being public with it now. Through his priesthood, he said he has tried to practice what Pope Francis so poignantly and pointedly captured with his famous observation about gay Catholics.
The priest said he doesn’t know the transgressions or every sin of all who present themselves for Communion. “As long as they’re seeking God, who am I to judge,” said the priest, citing the pope’s memorable expression.
The church calls gay sex “intrinsically disordered” because it cannot result in procreation. Yet Ron Victor said the caring, monogamous relationship between his nephew and Molina-Duarte "reflects God’s love."
“While it’s not necessarily life-giving in a biological way,” said the priest, "it’s life-giving in other ways.”
freep.com/story/news/local/michigan/detroit/2015/12/14/how-married-gay-catholic-couple-lives-their-faith/76989746/
Because their Catholic faith is against same-sex marriage, Bryan Victor and Thomas Molina-Duarte made their wedding vows this summer before a Protestant minister in a Detroit Episcopal church.
**Those in attendance included many family members, including Victor’s uncle, who is a Catholic priest **and Macomb County pastor. The Rev. Ronald Victor did not officiate but was there because, he told his nephew, the Catholic Church “needs more examples of gay holiness.”
Detroit Archbishop Allen Vigneron said through a spokesman that he couldn’t comment for this story without knowing more specifics about the men. Officially, the archdiocese offers the ministry program Courage, to urge gay Catholics to abstain from sex; and another program, EnCourage, to counsel Catholic families with gay members.
At the men’s wedding ceremony, family was in force.
“They are two very holy guys,” Catholic priest Ronald (Ron) Victor said of his nephew and nephew-in-law.** “I do see their union as being sacred and sacramental,** in the sense that it reflects God’s love.”
To officiate at their wedding could have led to discipline by his superiors. But Ron Victor, the pastor of St. Isidore Catholic parish in Macomb, said he had considered blessing their union privately, although his nephew told him the couple didn’t want anything clandestine or controversial.
The priest and his nephew became close when Ron Victor was assigned to a St. Clair Shores parish, where Bryan attended elementary school. After the school day, instead of going to latchkey to wait for his working parents to pick him up, Bryan went to the rectory.
“It’s been one of those things when somebody you know and love a lot comes out, it kind of changes your perspective,” said Ron Victor.
Ron Victor said he was moved by the wedding ceremony, and at the same time, “a little angry and a little disappointed that we couldn’t do it in a church where I could have officiated.”
He said he believes many priests would be open to blessing same-sex unions, although “they can’t be real public with that.”
Ron Victor said he’s comfortable being public with it now. Through his priesthood, he said he has tried to practice what Pope Francis so poignantly and pointedly captured with his famous observation about gay Catholics.
The priest said he doesn’t know the transgressions or every sin of all who present themselves for Communion. “As long as they’re seeking God, who am I to judge,” said the priest, citing the pope’s memorable expression.
The church calls gay sex “intrinsically disordered” because it cannot result in procreation. Yet Ron Victor said the caring, monogamous relationship between his nephew and Molina-Duarte "reflects God’s love."
“While it’s not necessarily life-giving in a biological way,” said the priest, "it’s life-giving in other ways.”
freep.com/story/news/local/michigan/detroit/2015/12/14/how-married-gay-catholic-couple-lives-their-faith/76989746/
and wish to let it be known that they are in a lifetime relationship.