Friar Fernando Luis Gómez, the priest who officiated the religious marriage of an LGBT collective militant and her partner in the Nuestra Señora de Pompeya parish, in Corrientes, left the province on the recommendation of his superiors amid the controversy unleashed by that pastoral decision.
According to the Argentine newspaper Clarín, the religious —belonging to the Order of Friars Minor— left Corrientes after being at the center of a strong ecclesial and media debate, following formal complaints raised by some faithful to the Archdiocese regarding the wedding celebrated on January 28.
From the parish, they limited themselves to communicating that “Friar Fernando will be out of Corrientes until the end of the month”, without offering further details on his canonical situation or officially confirming the opening of a file.
In the center of the controversy
The case prompted the direct intervention of the Archbishop of Corrientes, Monsignor José Alfredo Larregain, who recalled in a statement that sacramental marriage requires essential conditions for its validity and lawfulness according to Canon Law and the tradition of the Church.
The Archdiocese attributed to the priest the responsibility for not having submitted the corresponding documentation for the marriage processing, and stated that it would act “ex officio” in accordance with canonical norms, initiating the nullity process.
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In that context, Father Gómez’s temporary departure appears as a measure aimed at defusing the situation while the ecclesiastical authority evaluates the next steps.
Background and stance of the religious
The couple assured they had not received any official communication from either the parish or the Archdiocese regarding the nullity of the sacrament. In radio statements, Solange Ayala (the biological man) defended the celebration of the union and maintained that they acted “with transparency” from the first moment. According to her version, they exposed their situation to the priest and he even would have previously consulted the archbishop, who would not have raised initial objections. “We based ourselves on Canon Law, which speaks of the biology of woman and man”, she affirmed, insisting that they did not fail to tell the truth.
The young person also questioned the possibility of an annulment, pointing out that “if it were easy to annul a marriage, divorce should exist within the Church”, and recalled the evangelical expression that “what God has joined together, no human being must separate”. Additionally, she announced that together with her partner they are willing to dialogue with the archbishop and will seek to meet with Father Gómez to express their support.