Home // February 14-18 2011 > Father Bob says yes to marrying same sex couples

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Father Bob says yes to marrying same sex couples

Published: February 15, 2011

Prominent Melbourne priest Father Bob Maguire said he would marry a gay couple - but not in a church, reports 9 News.

The 75-year-old Fr Maguire said he realised Catholic leaders would not want a gay marriage held inside a church but it was his duty to help people in need, including homosexual couples.

"I'd probably consult the bosses and then I'd go back to the clients and tell them we can't do it here - it's not personal, it's institutional," he told the Herald Sun.

Meanwhile, UK Christians are concerned with Coalition government plans to allow gay civil partnership ceremonies in churches, worried that vicars will be forced against their will to conduct civil partnership ceremonies, said a report on Christian Today.

The plans are being championed by the Liberal Democrats, who are also pursuing full "marriage" rights for same-sex couples.

They have received the support of the Quakers and Christian homosexuality rights groups but strong opposition from other sections of the church.

Archbishop of York Dr John Sentamu told BBC One's Andrew Marr show: "I live in a liberal democracy and I want equality for everybody. I cannot say the Quakers shouldn't do it.

"Nor do I want somebody to tell me the Church of England must do it or the Roman Catholic Church must do it because actually that is not what equality is about."

It is expected that any legislation passed will allow churches and other religious settings to choose whether or not they host civil partnership ceremonies but some Christians are still concerned that the religious freedom of churches will be compromised.

Speaking on BBC Radio 4's Today Programme, the Rev Rod Thomas, of orthodox Anglican group Reform, said that even if changes to the law safeguarded the right of Christians to opt out of conducting gay civil partnership ceremonies in their churches, the likelihood was that churches would be unable to refuse in practice.

FULL STORY

Catholic priest says he'd marry gay couple (9 News)

UK Christians alarmed by Coalition plans to allow gay civil partnership ceremonies in churches (Christian Today)

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Recent Comments

  1. Valentine Blessings, February 14th!
    Remind the errant priest who wants his way to do what he wants to do even if not only the Catholic Churches disapprove of 'Marrying' gays, other very Christian denominations do disapprove and cite Bible and Bibical Hisotory and other Counter-Movements, i. e., have you forgotten about Our Lady of Fatima?
    Does the heretical priest have Alzheimer's Disease? That may explain some of his rejection of Bibical and Church Truths and the Commandments of God and The Church!

    Posted By: Frances Von Koenig, S.F. Greater Bay area/CA.

  2. Assuming that Fr Bob has been correctly quoted in the secular media, it is unfortunate that he appears to be in ignorance of the Church's teaching of what constitutes marriage. For those interested, I refer you to the Catechism of the Catholic Church paragraphs 1601 - 1666. According to this teaching, it is impossible for homosexual and lesbian couples to be married.
    Clearly, legislators in any country can institute or amend any legislation to permit civil unions of homosexual or lesbian couples, but this will not make them married according to Catholic teaching.
    However, it will make the wedding planners and the divorce lawyres rub their hands in delight in anticipation of a whole new area of income.

    Posted By: Judith Taylor - Clematis Vic

  3. Marriage is primarily a social construct. It could be monogamous, polygamous or polyandrous. It was the parties who wedded. Nobody outside the uniting parties 'married' them. They married one another.
    Sometimes the marriage was confirmed by a public ceremony or blessed by a religious ritual. As society developed it became a legal construct. The parties were subject to legal obligations.
    In Australia, ministers of religion need to be registered as marriage celebrants before they can officiate at marriages. They are instruments of the state.
    So Father Bob could only 'marry a gay couple' in the sense that he could be a marriage celebrant witnessing (and blessing) the couple's vows to each other in so far as such a public profession of intention to live together as a couple was recognised by the state.
    I have the highest regard for Fr Bob. His position makes clear the distinction between a civil ceremony with a priest as the marriage celebrant and a church service with the priest as a combined ivil and church official, who can bless the marrying parties. I repeat it is the couple who marry one another, not the official/priest. - Moruya NSW

    Posted By: Joe Moruya

  4. That's an interesting one! The problem is catholic clergy have a limited licence to do weddings validly for the government.
    The marriage has to be according to the Roman catholc rite.
    So Fr Bob thinks he can do the wedding but, without his bishop's authorization, would it be recognized as valid by the civil authorities?

    Posted By: Joe D Sunshine Coast Qld

  5. On Twitter, Fr Bob said he was misquoted and seeks retraction.
    That being so, be good if CathNews retracted also for repeating it.
    This is what he said on Twitter feed,
    @FatherBob: 'Spread the word,comrades. I will not do gay weddings.I cannot do gay weddings.The H/S headliner is wrong.Get retraction 4 me.'

    Posted By: Stan O'Loughlin South Plympton SA

  6. With all the best will in the world I think it’s time for Bishops to stand up and take responsibility for dissident comments made by the people who represent the Church.
    Fr Bob’s (if quoted correctly) comments are clearly in contradiction to Church teaching.
    It’s time for dissident voices to be disciplined or excommunicated. In reality, they have excommunicated themselves.

    Posted By: LG, Sydney

  7. Marriage is the union of a man and a woman in love which results in procreation. This is the natural law.
    Therefore, it cannot take place between people of the same sex.
    I have no problem with same sex couples committing to each other in union, but do not call it a 'marriage'

    Posted By: H-M Langlands, Thornbury

  8. Unfortunately, Fr Bob sounds less and less Catholic every time I hear/read him. Very sad

    Posted By: Tom, Perth

  9. We live in times where at the drop of me 'at, someone reckons he said this, and t'other swears on the Bible
    (if that be not too contentious and arrogant, downputting, divixe). Bob Maguire said this a.m. on
    3AW Neil Mitchell, very carefully, that he would be seeking an apoology from Herald Sun for misrepresentation as to what was said and what was meant.
    I think that is a little different to a categorical title for the above report. Sic transit sapientia urbis,
    or lack of it.

    Posted By: Bill Holligan Ferntree Gully

  10. Marriage is a Sacrament given by God.
    The G's and L's can make a civil contract without insulting our religious beliefs. God will not be mocked.

    Posted By: Raymond B.Meppem Beacon Hill Nsw

  11. I hope Fr Bob Maguire will receive a full and sincere apology for being misquoted in the media.

    Posted By: Margaret, Adelaide

  12. There can be no such thing as a gay marriage. It is like asking for male motherhood.
    The defining characteristic of motherhood is that it is relates specifically and exclusively to a female.
    There is no such thing, nor can there be, a male motherhood.
    Similarly, marriage, in essence, is exclusively between a male and a female.
    Gay marriage, between persons of the same sex, is not, and cannot be, a marriage.
    Call it something else - a civil union, but whatever you do, you cannot call it marriage.

    Posted By: Mick Brisbane

  13. Marriage will always be between a male and a female, full stop end of issue. It is one of those black and white issues!

    Posted By: D.A. Davies. Milton.

  14. What is the chance we might see the headline 'Father Bob upholds Catholic Doctrine'? Buckley's, I should think.

    Posted By: Adam Armstrong-Pakenham

  15. Fr Maguire said it was his duty to help people in need, including homosexual couples.
    But helping them to marry, against God's laws, is not helping them at all.
    It is not helping their need in the least - their need is to know the one true God and His ways, through studying His word in the Bible. That is the way he can truly help them, so that they can look forward to eternal happiness in heaven. Helping people to do what is wrong in the eys of God, is not kind in the least, it is helping them to lose their kingdom inheritance. That is truly unkind.

    Posted By: Yvonne Graham. Berowra Heights

  16. Marriage is the legal, sacramental and complementary uniting of a man and a woman which allows for natural procreation and complementary parenting (mother and father) of any off-spring of the marriage.
    Does any form of gay union fit this clear cut long traditional definition? Obviously not. End of story.
    Any introduction in the of 'gay marriage' will be pure contrivence. It will be a secular and manufactured definition for politically correct reasons only.

    Posted By: deric davidson bunbury

  17. If he was reported correctly, Fr Maguire should retire, willingly or otherwise. People who undermine church teaching have no right to continue on the church payroll.

    Posted By: Ron Canberra

  18. Judith: I find your final comments about income inappropriate.
    I am a committed Catholic and also a civil marriage celebrant.
    The idea that wedding planners are rubbing their hands with glee shows a cynicism too often expressed when it comes to gay members of the community.
    Quoting the Cathechism as though every teaching in it was infallible is also not a good way to approach our faith. And even if the Church were obliged to say they are not married from a Church viewpoint, what would that mean to them?
    Currently 65% of Australian marriages are conducted away from religious communities; so gays would often be looking for the right to marry as everyone does in civil terms, not religious.
    My attitude is that of St John of the Cross: 'When you come to the evening of your life, you will be judged on your love.' - Sydney, NSW.

    Posted By: Mike Yates

  19. M M Langlands: According to Australian law (I have to say this monitum at every civil wedding I perform), marriage is the union of a man and a woman to the exclusion of all others freely undertaken for life.
    Obviously gays would want the Govt of the day to change the first phrase to include them. - Sydney, NSW

    Posted By: Mike Yates

  20. Mike Yates: How is it that you, 'a committed Catholic', are also a civil marriage celebrant?
    According to Catholic teaching, merely attending a marriage ceremony which is not recognissed by the Church is called cooperation in evil and is to be avoided at all costs.
    Actually being the celebrant would seem to be in grave oposition to this teaching.
    I find it strange that a committed Catholic would object to me referring to the Catechism; after all, it contains the teaching of the Church, something that we profess to follow every time we say the Creed at Mass.

    Posted By: Judith Taylor - Clematis Vic

  21. Yvonne: Your post is the most useful I have read so far. Thanks for reminding us of the primary issue at stake here – i.e. ultimately we will not be helping homosexual people if we allow them to marry.

    Posted By: LG, Sydney

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