Gay TV News Anchor Is Confirmed in a Catholic Parish Amid Conservative Outcry

Television’s “Good Morning America” co-anchor Gio Benitez was recently confirmed in the Catholic Church, amid attacks by the conservative community of Catholic X (Twitter) because Benitez is gay and married to a man. 

Fr. Eric Andrews, CSP (right), pastor of St. Paul the Apostle Church, administers the sacrament of Confirmation to Gio Benitez, whose husband Tommy DiDario, served as his sponsor.

In early November, Benitez was confirmed at St. Paul the Apostle Church, Manhattan, with his husband, Tommy DiDario, serving as his sponsor. Benitez shared a video of highlights from the Mass as well as an Instagram post describing his emotional journey of faith as a gay Catholic, specifically naming both Pope Francis and Fr. James Martin, SJ, as important influences in his journey towards full communion with the Catholic Church. In his social mdia post, Benitez said: 

“Six months ago, the death of a humble pope unexpectedly took me on a journey that was a lifetime in the making[Fr. James Martin] was on GMA speaking about Pope Francis’ legacy of inclusivity. His words struck me. It was the first time I had seen a Catholic priest speaking in such a beautiful way about LGBTQ people.”

St. Paul the Apostle Church is pastored by the Paulist Fathers, and the parish has a strong LGBTQ+ ministry calld “Out at St. Paul.”

For Benitez, his confirmation marked an important step on a journey that began with his baptism at age 15, leading him to study religion in college even while he wrestled with questions of God’s presence and love. Ultimately, it was the witness of those who love him as well as the witness of those who work tirelessly for LGBTQ+ dignity and inclusion in the Church that enabled Benitez to recognize the presence of God within himself. He observed:

“It turns out proof of God’s love wasn’t in the books or the lecture halls, or even the amount of years I spent studying.  That divine love was in me all along, always whispering guidance, gently reaching out with arms wide open, and like Michaelangelo’s Creation of Adam, patiently waiting for me to reach back out and embrace the greatest mystery.”

In an article for  The National Catholic Reporter,  writer John Grosso reflected on the flood of conservative Catholic online reaction to Benitez’s Instagram post, noting the negative reactions with bewilderment. According to Grosso, Benitez’s reflection is “a moving testimony of a man who has found a home in the Catholic Church — the tone is excitable, joyous and infectious as he references the spiritual mentors and family members who contributed to his full initiation into the church.”

Several posts on X referred to Benitez’s confirmation as “vulgar” and “a scandal,” with one commentator, Dominican Fr. Peter Totleben, using the opportunity to post personal attacks against Fr. James Martin accusing him of elitism:

“People are so exercised about Martin’s problematic advocacy for LGBT issues specifically, that they have mostly failed to notice that this is only one part of the larger problem with his ministry: his ministry is to be the chaplain for the Beautiful People.” 

According to Grosso, Totleben’s X feed includes multiple tweets a day and a tendency to quarrel with others in the comments, including those who came to Fr. Martin’s defense. Totleben’s angry responses Grosso argues, is the real scandal:

“Totleben opted for a lengthy ad hominem post that does nothing but foment divisiveness in the church. His comments are also a source of scandal. Imagine a non-Catholic inspired by Benitez’s story who wants to know more about the Catholic faith. Imagine they see a post like Totleben’s, or the many comments on Martin’s Facebook page calling him a heretic. What do these social media posts say about how seriously Catholics take their faith?”

Although the online attacks are disappointing, Grosso’s article makes it clear that they are the exception and not the rule. The majority of online responses to Benitez’s original posts are positive and celebratory, Grosso notes. 

Benitez’s posts clearly demonstrate the immense joy and sense of consolation of one who has found his home in the Church, and luckily the majority of the online response reflects the accompanying joy and consolation of a community ready to receive and embrace their newest member. Indeed this sense of joy–not the skepticism, criticism, and rejection of the few disparaging remarks made online–marks the type of welcome LGBTQ+ Catholics deserve. 

—Phoebe Carstens, New Ways Ministry, Novembeer 29, 2025