- Stay Connected
Connect With Us
Catholic Priest Rebuked For Participating In Cousins Gay Wedding
When Father Michael DeVito chose to assist in the wedding of his cousin in New York City, he may not have expected to get a harsh rebuke from his archdiocese in Hartford, Connecticut. However, Father DeVito did get just that. He was rebuked by the Hartford Archdiocese for participating in the same-sex nuptials of a cousin even though he did not do so in an official capacity.
The official rebuke reads:
Statement from the Archdiocese of Hartford regarding Fr. Michael DeVito
August 24, 2012:
Archbishop Henry J. Mansell has met with Father Michael DeVito regarding the priest’s participation in a same-sex marriage ceremony involving a cousin in New York City on August 19th.
According to Father DeVito, his participation in the ceremony was limited to doing a reading. He wore no vestments, but had worn his Roman collar.
Archbishop Mansell informed Father DeVito that his participation in this ceremony was understandably perceived by many Catholics as an implicit endorsement of same-sex marriage, which is contrary to Church teaching. As a consequence, and in accordance with canon law, the Archbishop formally rebuked Father DeVito and informed him that the rebuke would be a permanent part of his record.
Fr. DeVito said that he would not participate in any way in same-sex marriages in the future.
“Or do you not know that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived; neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor homosexuals, nor thieves, nor the covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, swindlers, shall inherit the kingdom of God. And such were some of you; but you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, and in the Spirit of our God.” I Cor. 6:9-11.
The blog that posted this rebuke, of course, does not like the fact that Father DeVito dared to be part of a same-sex wedding and took the usual Catholic line on such things. What so many miss is that the Catholic Church is at war within itself. Because of the Church’s unwillingness to evolve, it is now stuck somewhere around 1600, and believes that it has the right to impose its beliefs on others.
Father DeVito showed his truer connection to his God through his actions than, say, the actions of Archbishop Salvatore Corleone in San Francisco. As the Catholic Church slowly dwindles in power, influence and membership, it seems like so many people are unwilling to ask within it “what’s going wrong”, but rather keep yelling how there’s enough lifeboats for everyone even when there aren’t.
7 Responses to Catholic Priest Rebuked For Participating In Cousins Gay Wedding
Socialize
For A Gay Friendly Get Away
AJ
September 5, 2012 at 2:08 am
Thank God for priests like Fr. DiVito, who follow CHRIST. I am scandalized that Fr. DiVito was publicly rebuked while the pedophile priests were SHIELDED and PROTECTED and in some cases DEFENDED By the church!
Herald
September 4, 2012 at 8:41 pm
From my perspective as a former pastor I view Fr. DeVito’s actions as a very commendable act of courage and conscience. The pressures exerted both by members of the parish and superiors are immense. The official rebuke he received is the least of what may be coming his way.
His story reminded me of comments made by Cardinal Carlo Maria Martini in the interview he gave before he died. “The Church must admit its mistakes and begin a radical change,” http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/48876172/ns/world_news-europe
Tony Adams
September 4, 2012 at 7:12 pm
Dear Mr. O’Connor,
Fr. DeVito was caught in a difficult situation. He wanted to be part of his cousin’s wedding but knew it could get him into trouble. I spoke to both the groom and to Fr. DeVito whom I have known since we were both in high school seminary together. They agreed to talk off the record and I will honor that, but I will say that Fr. DeVito probably is counting on us to spread the word about what transpired here. DeVito has balls but he also has a brain. He chooses to work from within the Church. I chose the opposite route having left the active ministry decades ago. If the Catholic Church does not die first, it will change to give LGBT members and women equal status. When that happens, I hope you will give Michael and the legion of priests just like him a word of thanks for the part he played in that growth.
Ken
September 4, 2012 at 6:06 pm
That Bible passage does not contain the words “effeminate” or “homosexual” in the original language. They are both speculative translations. The word translated “effeminate” means “homosexual” in modern Greek, but that doesn’t mean anything. The modern word “lasagna” goes back to a Greek word of that period that meant “chamber pot.”
It’s irresponsible to assume that a word keeps the same meaning over a span of centuries. Translators know that, so they have no excuse for translating things into the Bible.
The word “homosexual” does not occur in the RSV, but pops up again in the NRSV. No one was a homosexual before about 1867, for the simple reason that the word hadn’t been invented yet. So there is no historical precedent for the use of the word “homosexual” in a Bible translation.
In an accurate translation of the Bible, the word “homosexual” should never occur.
Andrew Sorbo
September 4, 2012 at 4:11 pm
Fr. DeVito is a man who is caught between doing what is in his heart and doing what he loves, what he has a calling to do, and is so good at: being a priest, a minister to his flock, a disciple of Christ. His is the same dilemma so many Roman Catholic priests and ministers in other Christian denominations have, and that is how to reconcile their calling to be witnesses to Christ’s teachings and commands on the one hand, and to be respectful of the demands made by their hierarchical “superiors” in their churches. So, as many people of conscience do, they push the limits…and that leads to being rebuked by their “superiors” who have the power to discipline but not the moral or spiritual integrity to lead by example.
As a gay man who was a teacher in the Catholic schools for many years before moving on to teach in the public schools, I had to dissemble and hide in the closet in order to do the work I felt a calling to do. As a principal at St. Rose School in New Haven, where I likewise remained in the closet, I worked under Fr. DeVito and came to know him as a priest who also had a calling and displayed it for all to see in his wonderfully pastoral interactions with his parishioners. Consider the love of a man for the church of his birth, the church makes more Christ-like by his life’s work, and the people he serves so well on the one hand and the fear of losing all of that before you say he has no guts.
RICHARD C OCONNOR
September 4, 2012 at 3:04 pm
i do wish fr.De vito had stood up and had some balls about this matter. no one was hurt except the CHURCH, as it is still in the 19th century
Glyndon Morris
September 4, 2012 at 7:12 pm
I think this priest not only has balls, but brass ones. He did stand up to the Church. He did this when he agreed to participate in his cousin’s wedding. There is absolutely no chance the priest did not know the risk. He knew, and he followed God’s calling despite the clear edicts of his Church. I might also suggest that this rebuke is not the most severe punishment that the archbishop could have imposed.