A Roman Catholic church in Providence,
Rhode Island is the latest congregation to fire a gay employee.
According to NBC
10, Michael Templeton, the music director at St. Mary's, was
fired over his 2015 marriage to another man.
Bishop Thomas J. Tobin told NBC 10 that
Templeton's actions left the church “no choice but to respond.”
“If an individual deliberately and
knowingly enters into a relationship or engages in activity that
contradicts the core teachings of the church, that individual leaves
the church no choice but to respond,” Tobin said.
Templeton said that he has left the
parish.
“It no longer feels like a place
where I can feel safe and continue my spiritual journey,” he said.
“I do pray for the community, the pastor and the bishop, however.”
He added that it would be a “lie”
to say that he did not see this coming, because “I think we are all
aware of what the hierarchy teaches,” a reference to the Catholic
Church's opposition to same-sex relationships.
While a large majority of Catholics
(60% according a 2013 poll) support marriage equality, more than 60
LGBT people have reported losing their jobs at Catholic institutions
since 2010, according to New
Ways Ministry, a Catholic LGBT group.