(San Francisco, California) 78 year old Rev. Otis Charles who did not come out until after he retired as Episcopal Bishop of Utah in 1993 has been given a stern reprimand by the church for marrying his longtime partner.
After he retired Charles moved to San Francisco where he became active with a local gay Episcopal group and served as bishop-in-residence at an Episcopal Church in San Francisco.
When the city began issuing marriage licenses to same-sex couples in February, Charles and his partner of two years, Felipe Sanchez Paris, took the plunge.
But, this week Charles was informed that his license to officiate at church services or preside over the church's sacramental ceremonies was revoked by San Francisco Bishop William Swing.
Charles says he can't figure out why the action was taken, but he thinks that an article in the San Francisco Chronicle about his wedding had something to do with it.
He said that Swing, who has in the past been a supporter of gays, was informed two weeks before the wedding that the couple was planning to wed.
Swing supported the election of Gene Robinson as Bishop of New Hampshire and has endorsed blessing ceremonies for same-sex couples.
The Episcopal Church has been under siege from within as conservatives threaten a schism over what they see as a liberalization in the faith's position on gays.
The church where Charles and Sanchez Paris were married is also under investigation to determine if it broke church rules.
Gay Bishop Gets Married - Church Is Pissed
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