The recent confirmation of ABC News anchor Gio Benitez, an openly gay man, continues to ignite debate within the Catholic world.
Among those weighing in is Fr. Prince Chidi Philip, a Nigerian-born priest ordained under the Diocese of Cheongju in South Korea, who called for renewed reflection on the Church’s handling of the sacraments and moral teaching.
Reacting to the event, Fr. Philip urged Jesuit priests, who facilitated the ceremony at the Church of St. Paul the Apostle in New York, to re-examine their approach to LGBTQ inclusion in light of Catholic doctrine.
He asked pointedly; “If Saint Ignatius were to return today, would he be happy with the Jesuits?”
Fr. Philip expressed concern that Gio Benitez and his husband not only received the Sacrament of Confirmation but also Holy Communion, despite their open same-sex relationship.
“I know some might argue that they could have gone for confession before Mass,” he wrote. “But you do not go to confession, receive Holy Communion, and then return to the same sinful life. Since he is openly gay, we all know he will go home with his husband and continue their relationship.”
He emphasised that the Church’s position on such matters remains clear: Holy Communion is meant for those who are in a state of grace and open to conversion.
“Every communicant, whatever their struggle, is called to repentance and transformation before approaching the altar,” he said.
Fr. Philip cautioned against separating mercy from moral truth, warning that doing so empties the sacraments of their power.
“When mercy is detached from moral truth, the Eucharist becomes ordinary bread, and confession turns into routine rather than rebirth,” he wrote.
Reflecting on the example of the Jesuits’ founder, Saint Ignatius of Loyola, he called for discernment rooted in fidelity to Christ rather than cultural trends.
“Our founders and saints never feared controversy when defending the integrity of the sacraments,” he said. “Saint Ignatius would remind us that true discernment is not about what the world applauds, but what draws the soul closer to Christ’s cross.”
Fr. Philip concluded by reaffirming that the Church must remain both a refuge for sinners and a school of transformation.
“Grace begins where weakness starts, but it never leaves us the same,” he wrote.
