Catholic World News News Feature

Priest sued for denying Communion to gay activist February 17, 2005

A parish priest in Spain, the second in recent weeks, has become the object of a lawsuit alleging "public humiliation" of a militant homosexual who desired to receive Communion.

Father Domingo Garcia Dobao, pastor of the Church of the Immaculate Conception in Jaen, Spain, has been sued by Juan Diego Fuentes Medina after the priest publicly denied him Communion for registering his gay union with Angel de los Reyes with local officials.

Father Garcia explained his decision by pointing out that by making formally public a situation the Church has taught is immoral, "they cannot receive Communion." "I have only applied ecclesiastical norms," he added.

"What I did," said Father Garcia, "was fulfill my obligations, as this is what the Church teaches. A Christian cannot receive the sacraments when he or she is officially living in a non-marital union with someone else."

Father Garcia reminded reporters that Fuentes had been administered Communion at Mass on various occasions before formalizing his homosexual union, but that the decision to publicly register the union with the government obliged him to make his decision.