MASS. COUPLE STRUGGLING WITH ISSUES OF FAMILY AND RELIGION: From the Washington Post

...They are daughters of devout Catholics and said they have been ostracized by many in their families. Their parents will not attend their wedding, and VanBuskirk's mother offered to take her siblings on a vacation to Ireland so they are out of the country on their wedding day. ...

The legal and political obstacles to the day were overcome by gay activists and their supporters. But for many same-sex couples, family and religious challenges remain.

Many mainstream churches will not conduct same-sex weddings. The Catholic Church, which is also a cultural and political force in Massachusetts, has been among the strongest opponents of the decision by the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court that ruled prohibition of gay marriage unconstitutional. ...

"I love my daughter, and I always will," Diana's father, Anthony Cutaia, said in a telephone interview from Boca Raton, Fla., where he lives. "But to me, there is no marriage. That's what it comes down to. Whatever exercise they go through is fine, but it's not a marriage." ...

Cutaia first proposed to VanBuskirk two years ago. They anticipated having a commitment ceremony and sought out the pre-Cana classes required of all Catholic couples planning to marry. But finding a priest willing to work with a gay couple was hard. ...

They joined a gay Catholic community called Dignity Boston, where up to 150 members worship each Sunday in an Evangelist church in Beacon Hill.

They pray together almost every night, though these days with Cutaia working normal hours and VanBuskirk on the 4 p.m.-to-midnight shift, they sometimes have to do so over the phone. "One of our favorite things to do is attend Mass together," Cutaia said. "We knew from the start that faith would have to play a major role in our relationship."

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posted by Eve at 7:24 PM | Link |

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