Canadian priest files Supreme Court affidavit supporting gay marriage

Published: 2004-02-06

TORONTO (CNS) -- A retired Catholic priest who has worked in the gay community for 30 years has filed an affidavit with the Supreme Court of Canada in support of same-sex marriage. Father Timothy Ryan, a well-known member of the Scarboro Foreign Mission Society, said in his affidavit that he knows his position flies in the face of official church teaching. "I am well aware of the Vatican's recent announcement against the legal recognition of same-sex marriage," he wrote. "As with various issues touching on matters of sex and sexuality, many Canadian Catholics do not share the views of the hierarchy, including myself." A spokesman for his order said the priest could face disciplinary action. Father Ryan, who holds a doctorate in theology from the University of St. Michael's College, has worked in ministry among gays and lesbians for three decades and been active in social justice advocacy work.

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