Posted: Sept. 30, 2014
The new priest had only been at St. Leo's Catholic Church in Lewistown, Montana for four days when he discovered that a gay couple in the congregation had married last year.
He gave them an ultimatum: Either divorce and renounce their marriage, he told Paul Huff and Tom Wojtowick, or the two lifelong Catholics would be banned from church ministries and from receiving communion.
Paul and Tom have been in a committed relationship for 30 years. Devoted Catholics, they play music at service and sing in the choir, and they never publicized their marriage. Already, as many as 40 of their fellow congregants have spoken out or quit attending mass in protest.
So far the local bishop is backing the parish priest, even though he acknowledges that Paul and Tom are "good people." We need to show him that there's a growing national outcry of Christians who are appalled at how Tom and Paul are being treated.
Sign the petition:
Love thy neighbor.