Melbourne Catholic priest Bob Maguire sparked controversy last week, coincidentally the 50th anniversary of his ordination, by the revelation in a Herald Sun interview that he is open to performing civil union ceremonies for gays. The 75-year-old Maguire said it was his duty to help people in need, including homosexual couples and would perform such a ceremony – but not in a church.
He realised Catholic leaders would not want a gay ceremony in a Catholic Church so he would arrange a private event.
Australian Marriage Equality national secretary Peter Furness said it was encouraging that a Catholic priest should speak publicly about the issue.
"There are many priests who support and want the right to marry same sex couples," Furness said, adding that a number of religious leaders made submissions to a 2009 Senate inquiry advocating gay marriage, but were not willing to go public with their views.
"The Australian Christian Lobby would have us think that there is one viewpoint from the church, but there’s not," Furness said.
The media-savvy Maguire later stressed on his blog and on Twitter that whatever his opinion was: “I will not do gay weddings. I cannot do gay weddings. The H/S headliner is wrong.”
Maguire said in the interview he has no personal view on gay civil unions but stressed he can’t break the law of either state or church.
“However, if the law changed, then I would be the first to perform such a ceremony,” he said.
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