VARIOUS: COMMITTED GAY COUPLE SEAL THEIR RELATIONSHIP IN CIVIL CEREMONY IN TORONTO

Record ID: 645932

  • Title: VARIOUS: COMMITTED GAY COUPLE SEAL THEIR RELATIONSHIP IN CIVIL CEREMONY IN TORONTO
  • Date: 1st August 2003
  • Summary: (W1)VATICAN CITY (FILE) (REUTERS) MV POPE JOHN PAUL INSIDE VATICAN SPEAKING (3 SHOTS)
  • Embargoed: 16th August 2003 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: TORONTO, CANADA / NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK, UNITED STATES / VATICAN CITY
  • City:
  • Country: Canada Usa Vatican City State
  • Topics: General,Politics,Religion
  • Reuters ID: LVA6I93CXEKUZYAWUCNRAYBU6OCD
  • Story Text: A committed Catholic gay couple have sealed their relationship in a civil ceremony in Toronto, conducted by a judge.
    Brendan Fay and Tom Moulton can't hide the smiles from their faces as they look over their wedding photographs. Like any newlyweds, the happy couple gaze adoringly at each other, hold hands and sneak kisses whenever they can, After all, they've only been officially married for two days.
    Taking advantage of Canada's recent change in the law regarding same-sex marriage, committed Catholics Fay and Moulton headed to Toronto on Sunday (July 27) to seal their relationship in a civil ceremony, conducted by a judge. The civil ceremony simply legally sealed the vows they made to each other in May, when they had a religious wedding ceremony.
    Couples like this are causing increasing alarm in the corridors of the Vatican. In response to growing legal acceptance of same-sex unions in Europe and North America, the Vatican is now issuing instructions, not only to bishops around the world, but also politicians, urging them to actively oppose extending legal rights granted to traditional couples, to gays and lesbians.
    Fay, who is a gay-rights activist, reacted angrily.
    "I think what an extraordinary document that's coming down, because I am very angry at the deep hurt and suffering and pain that will be caused."
    Moulton and Fay have been together for almost eight years, the very church which abhors their relationship actually brought the two together - they met and subsequently fell in love during a mass at their local church.
    Moulton, a paediatric oncologist, can't understand why the Vatican feels the need issue these instructions (entitled "practical reflections") when the Pope's opposition to gay relationships is already well known.
    He says the church is going too far in trying to directly influence politicians as well as bishops, "It's a dictatorship instead of a dialogue, it's kind of patronising."
    Discussing the issue with close friends and fellow gay Catholic couple, Edward De Bonis and Vincent Maniscalco, the men move from anger to reflection of what the repercussions of the Vatican's instructions might be.
    De Bonis said the effects will be profound for the gay community, and could even incite violence, "Because, whenever the Vatican speaks, there is a certain element of, not only Catholic society, but of all society that listens, regardless of how irrational or out of step with what's really going on in the world the statements are. It has a profound effect."
    De Bonis married Maniscalco last year in a religious ceremony. The Catholic church won't allow such services to take place in a Catholic house of worship and so the pair were wed in an Episcopalian church by a gay priest. They plan on going ahead with a civil ceremony in Canada also.
    The provinces of Ontario and British Columbia are the most recent to join nations like the Netherlands and Belgium in legalising gay marriage. Germany, France Sweden and Denmark also have "civil union" laws extending legal rights to same-sex couples.
    The Vatican has become increasingly concerned about its waning influence in Europe and many see this latest document as a sign of the Catholic church trying to secure its position with the religious right and quelling the rise in liberalism.
    The Vatican's document says that laws between man and woman must be promoted and that "in no way can other forms of cohabitation be placed on the same level as marriage, nor can they receive legal recognition as such."
    For Vincent Maniscalco those are painful words.
    "For my church to then turn around and use so-called church teaching and church principles against me solely because of the way God created me is really painful and also the fact that it hits so many people that I love, both in our lesbian and gay community and also our families and other people who are growing up in the church hearing this."
    These two gay Catholic couples are vowing to fight the prejudice of the Vatican's teachings, but say in no way does it alter their faith in God. They hope that perhaps the Vatican's document may even backfire - and, instead of forcing gays back into the closet, will encourage them to speak out against such discrimination.
    Brendan Fay, ever the optimist, remarked, "A great Catholic Cardinal once said 'happy are those who dream dreams and are ready to pay the price to make them come true' - I believe that in my lifetime that, indeed, a letter will come from Rome, honouring the gift and grace and beauty and goodness of gay life and love, and couples, lesbian and gay, will have their relationships celebrated for the goodness that is there."
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