A Catholic priest in Nigeria, Fr Kelvin Ugwu, has dismissed reports claiming that a Nigerian man, Innocent Ndubuisi Okechukwu, and his white partner were married in a Catholic church.
Over the weekend, photos showing the couple dressed in traditional Igbo attire and exchanging vows inside a church went viral on social media. The presence of a white priest and a church setting led many online users to assume the ceremony took place in a Catholic church.
Reacting to the reports, Fr Ugwu took to social media to clarify that the wedding did not take place in a Catholic church. According to him, the ceremony was held at St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church in Downers Grove, Illinois, United States.
He explained that the Episcopal Church is part of the global Anglican Communion, a fellowship of churches worldwide that recognizes the Archbishop of Canterbury as a symbol of unity. As such, it is not affiliated with the Catholic Church.
Fr Ugwu further stated that the Catholic Church does not permit same-sex marriages and maintained that the church would never approve such ceremonies.
Providing detailed clarification, he noted that Innocent Okechukwu is a Nigerian composer and pianist with a strong academic background in music, who once attended a Catholic minor seminary but never proceeded to major seminary. He added that the groom’s partner, Greg, is a chorister and lector in the Episcopal Church.
According to Fr Ugwu, the ceremony was officiated by Rev. Gregg Morris, the rector of St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church, adding that the Episcopal denomination officially allows clergy to conduct same-sex marriages.
‘’To all those mentioning me to these pictures, let me provide these clarifications.
- The black man is a Nigerian by name Innocent Ndubuisi Okechukwu. He is a composer and pianist with a significant body of work and academic study in music.
- He started in a Catholic minor seminary (secondary school) and sang/played music there. He never went to major seminary.
- The white man is called Greg. He is a chorister and a lector (reader) in Episcopal Church.
- The “wedding” took place in St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church in Downers Grove, Illinois (USA).
- The Episcopal Church belongs to the global Anglican Communion, a fellowship of churches worldwide that recognizes the Archbishop of Canterbury for unity. As an Episcopal church, St. Andrew’s shares this Anglican heritage and connection to the broader communion.
- The minister is Rev. Gregg Morris. He is the rector (senior minister) of that parish.
- The Episcopal Church does permit clergy to officiate same-sex marriages, and the denomination has authorized religious weddings for gay couples.
- I hope this clarification helps. Thanks for your attention!