Gay couple receive blessing of Catholic Missionary Church – by KATHARINA WECKER – Colombia Reports

A gay couple received blessing of a Catholic Missionary Church in Bogota on Saturday. This sparks controversy among Colombia's Catholic Churches.

Fabian Mauricio Romero Chibcha and Javier, who prefers not to be fully named, received blessings

by three priests who belong to the Catholic Missionary St. Pablo Church, a faction of the Catholic Church.

Fabian and Javier live together for two years and signed a de facto marital union certificate, as same-sex marriage is not legal in Colombia.

"We accept the challenge to bless this couple because they are children of God", father Diego said to El Espectador minutes before the ceremony, which does not symbolize the sacrament of marriage but rather presents the relationship with the religious community.

The Vatican does not accept gay relationships. Monsignor Francisco Nieto, auxiliary bishop of the Archdiocese of Bogoto, declared the union of Javier and Fabian "unacceptable". Bishop Nieto also criticized the Colombian Constitutional Court for recognizing the rights of gay couples.

Fabian became the first homosexual partner of a policeman to receive benefits from the police service since Colombia's Constitutional Court granted equal civil, political, social and economic rights to gay couples in January. Read more - by KATHARINA WECKER – Colombia Reports