Florida Church Told Gay Dads It Wouldn't Baptize Their Baby
Eric and Rich McCaffrey made plans to baptize their son, Jack, at Cathedral Church of St. Luke in Orlando, they probably didn’t expect to be stopped dead in their tracks three days before the ceremony.
That's what happened, though, as church officials told the McCaffrreys in April that some members of the congregation were uncomfortable with baby Jack having two fathers. (Hmm, Jesus had two dads and it didn't seem to do him any harm.)
Rich, who married Eric last July, took to Facebook, writing that "Jack’s baptism turned out to be the very opposite of what it should have been—It became about Jack having two dads, rather than a community opening its arms to a joyful little soul, one of God’s children.”
“Do not be fearful of what you don’t know," he advised his son (and, indirectly, St. Luke's). “Resist judging others or applying your experience with one person unilaterally.”
After Rich's letter went viral, Episcopal Bishop Greg Brewer invited the McCaffreys in for a discussion, and now the baptism is back on for later this summer.
"He genuinely wanted to learn about us and expressed his apologies for how it had been handled," Rich said of the meeting. "Most importantly, he was clear he is supportive of Eric and I, two dads, baptizing our son at the Cathedral and offered to be a part of it."
The church said in a statement that "the Dean and Cathedral have always intended to baptize this child. No one, including the Bishop, 'denied' this baptism. We regret the delay... As a congregation we will support this family in their desire to raise their child in the Christian faith.”
After deciding to return to St Luke's for the baptism, Rich added, “I close with one more lesson for Jack: Aspire to live your life with grace and forgiveness. You will be better for it.”
Jack is one lucky little boy.
