Catholic priest reacts to photos of a Nigerian man and his white husband getting married in a church

💒 Not everything you see on social media is as it seems 💒

Photos of Nigerian composer Innocent Ndubuisi Okechukwu and his white husband, Greg, dressed in Igbo outfits and exchanging vows in a church, went viral over the weekend. Many assumed the wedding took place in a Catholic churchbecause of the priest and church setting.

But Fr. Kelvin Ugwu, a Nigerian Catholic priest, has clarified that the ceremony did not happen in a Catholic church. Instead, it was held at St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church in Downers Grove, Illinois, USA, which is part of the global Anglican Communion. The officiating minister was Rev. Gregg Morris, the rector of the parish.

Fr. Ugwu explained that the Catholic Church does not recognize same-sex marriages, saying it would leave the church “any day same-s#x weddings are allowed.”

Key facts shared by Fr. Ugwu:

1. Innocent Okechukwu is a Nigerian composer and pianist with a strong academic and musical background.

2. Greg, his husband, is a chorister and lector in the Episcopal Church.

3. The Episcopal Church permits clergy to officiate same-sex marriages and authorizes religious weddings for gay couples.

4. The viral photos reflect Episcopal tradition, not Catholic practice.

In short, the viral wedding photos caused confusion like a mirage in the desert — beautiful and convincing, but not quite what it seemed.

💡 Social media reactions aside, Fr. Ugwu hopes this clarification will clear misconceptions about the ceremony and the church involved.