Marriage of Trans Couple Married In Church Is Invalidated by Archdiocese

After a  Catholic priest in Argentina publicly celebrated the marriage of two transgender people, the local archdiocese has stepped in with a reprimand

Solange Ayala, a trans woman, married her partner Isaías Díaz Núñez, a trans man, at Our Lady of Pompeii parish in Corrientes in late January, reports PinkNews. Speaking to Radio Sudamericana, Ayala shared that that priest, Rev. Fernando Luis Gómez, was “fully aware” of their situation from the beginning and treated them respectfully throughout the process, which was the same process as for any other heterosexually-matched couple seeking to be married in the Catholic Church. She explained:

“We are a trans couple who were able to receive the blessing of the Church. It is exciting for us because we can bring those who are part of the community and those who believe in and practice the Catholic religion closer to the Church again.”

Solange Ayala and Isaías Díaz Núñez are married in the church of Our Lady of Pompeya in Corrientes, Argentina, by Rev. Fernando Luis Gómez

The couple had originally thought that it would be impossible for them to be married in the church, and Ayala acknowledged  that she had been feeling distant from Catholicism due to the Church’s often negative posture towards the LGBTQ+ community. When she learned, however, that Our Lady of Pompeii parish was considered to be “quite open to welcoming the LGBTQ community,” she felt a renewed sense of excitement. The possibility of the wedding, she said, showed “another way to be active and occupy spaces” within the Church. She continued: 

“It’s not about saying, ‘I beat the system, look, I got married in a church,’ but rather about making visible the change that this particular religious community wants to make and wants to reach out to the LGBT community.”

Their priest celebrated the marriage after consulting with the archbishop of Corrientes, José Adolfo Larregain, who concluded that there was “nothing he could object to,” as the couple “could be blessed under the sacrament of marriage” on the basis of their biological sexes.

After news of the wedding was made public, however, the Archdiocese issued a statement with a far less approving tone. This statement included “clarification” on doctrine regarding marriage, stating:“Christian marriage, as a sacrament, requires the fulfillment of certain essential conditions for its validity and licitness.” 

When such conditions aren’t met, their absence may damage the meaning of the sacrament and “generate confusion within the community of the faithful.”

The Archdiocese further claimed that they “never received the ecclesiastical documentation corresponding to the formalities required for handling these cases,” and that the archbishop is now working to issue warnings to the archdiocese’s pastoral ministers. The marriage is considered null ipso facto, the archdiocese said.

It appears that the priest involved has recanted his decision after the archdiocesan statement was issued, and his parish issued a statement echoing the archdiocesan statement. Crux reported:

“In a separate declaration, the parish of Our Lady of Pompeya stated that ‘Christian marriage, as a sacrament, requires essential canonical conditions for validity and liceity,’ including that ‘the parties be free and capable of marrying, that no canonical impediment exist, and, decisively, that they give true consent. 

“ ‘Out of respect for the privacy of the individuals involved, no details will be provided, nor will speculation be encouraged,’ the parish statement read.”

Gómez reaffirmed his “commitment to authentic pastoral care, always united with the truth of the sacrament,” and said that “procedures for interview, preparation, and verification will be strengthened in order to safeguard the sanctity of the sacraments and prevent confusion within the community.”

Another canonical opinion exists on this issue, however. Crux reported:

According to lawyer Ricardo Lugo, an expert in Canon Law, the couple’s request to receive the sacrament of marriage was accepted by the local parish ‘because they have distinct genders.’

“’From my point of view, the civil and ecclesiastical requirements governing both institutions have been fulfilled,’ Lugo told Crux.

“Lugo said that most of the local Catholic community had not objected to the ceremony, but ‘a minor group filed a complaint with the archbishop, and a canonical procedure was launched.’ “

New Ways Ministry’s Executive Director Francis DeBernardo commented on the case:

“If this case proves anything, it is about the urgent need for the Catholic Church magisterium to completely overhaul its teachings about gender and sexuality. It seems that without a teaching that gives priority to people rather than physical gender characteristics, bishops and church leaders will continue to be faced with situations which do not fit the narrow categories of the current teaching.”

—Phoebe Carstens, New Ways Ministry, February 21, 2026