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James Martin, a Jesuit priest and the editor-at-large of America Magazine, came to the defense of Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg after the Catholic League claimed in a tweet Buttigieg's marriage to his husband—educator, author and activist Chasten Buttigieg—is a "legal fiction."
Earlier, the Catholic League published a tweet claiming the Transportation Secretary is indeed "legally married, [but] that is a legal fiction."
The organization linked to an article in which it criticized Buttigieg for defending his marriage in a recent interview with Fox News anchor Bret Baier, who suggested Buttigieg should not have taken his husband as part of an official delegation to the Netherlands for the Fifth Invictus Games.
Bill Donohue, the Catholic League's president, said Buttigieg doesn't actually "have a husband" because he "has been disqualified by nature."
You can see the organization's tweet below.
\u201cIt is true that Pete Buttigieg is legally married, but that is a legal fiction.\nhttps://t.co/9P9v4jzKyg\u201d— Catholic League (@Catholic League) 1674302404
The tweet soon caught Martin's attention and he replied saying Buttigieg is "legally married," adding:
"Like it or not, Pete Buttigieg is legally married. You may disagree with same-sex marriage (or not). But [Buttigieg] is married in the eyes of the state, and his church, as much as anyone else is. To claim otherwise is to ignore reality."
You can see Martin's tweets below.
\u201cSurprised this got so much attention. Like it or not, Pete Buttigieg is legally married. You may disagree with same-sex marriage (or not). But @SecretaryPete is married in the eyes of the state, and his church, as much as anyone else is. To claim otherwise is to ignore reality.\u201d— James Martin, SJ (@James Martin, SJ) 1674326948
Many praised Martin for speaking out.
\u201c@JamesMartinSJ Thank you, Fr. Martin. The Roman Catholic Church can promulgate whatever doctrines it wishes for its adherents regarding marriage, but the Church does not have the right to define marriage for anyone else. Thankful for secular law that protects the rights of all.\u201d— James Martin, SJ (@James Martin, SJ) 1674326948
\u201c@JamesMartinSJ I agree, Father, they are married, by any definition. The Catholic Church, to which I once belonged, would also not recognize my marriage to an Episcopal woman who is my wife of 27 years. I haven't thought about it once since November 18th, 1995.\u201d— James Martin, SJ (@James Martin, SJ) 1674326948
\u201c@JamesMartinSJ thank you.\n\nstraight people will never understand how exhausting and insulting it is that they feel entitled to be the adjudicators of whether or not our relationships and our loves are legitimate.\n\nthe Sacrament of Matrimony is the church's business but civil marriages are not.\u201d— James Martin, SJ (@James Martin, SJ) 1674326948
\u201c@JamesMartinSJ Why I love the Jesuits\u201d— James Martin, SJ (@James Martin, SJ) 1674326948
\u201c@JamesMartinSJ I\u2019m so happy we have the Jesuits to help\u2026balance out our beloved Catholic Church \u26ea\ufe0f\u201d— James Martin, SJ (@James Martin, SJ) 1674326948
Others leveled criticism at the Catholic League directly.
\u201cThis account is sick, and full of hate and attacks. How about you clean up your own house, and the pedophiles you protect\u2026 and leave people alone.\n\nGod doesn\u2019t approve of your rhetoric, your hate, and your forcing others to follow your shameful ideology.\u201d— Willy is free (@Willy is free) 1674439010
\u201cHere\u2019s a fact for you.\u201d— Brandon Wolf (@Brandon Wolf) 1674418036
\u201cFundamentalists are going to make Gen z be the most agnostic leaning generation ever with their bigotry.\u201d— \ud83c\udff3\ufe0f\u200d\u26a7\ufe0f\ud83c\udff3\ufe0f\u200d\ud83c\udf08\ud83c\udf39\u2728Jackie\u2728 (@\ud83c\udff3\ufe0f\u200d\u26a7\ufe0f\ud83c\udff3\ufe0f\u200d\ud83c\udf08\ud83c\udf39\u2728Jackie\u2728) 1674415927
\u201cYour entire shtick is based on believing some dude walked on water, turned some other water into a nice Pinot Noir, and then rose from the dead three days after being nailed to bits of wood - so maybe you should shh on calling things \u201cfiction\u201d.\u201d— Michael Marshall Smith (@Michael Marshall Smith) 1674437702
Martin has previously made headlines for speaking out against Republican politicians for politicizing the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
In early 2022, Martin criticized Wisconsin Republican Senator Ron Johnson after Johnson chastised people who trust COVID-19 vaccines over the "natural immunity" he attributes to God.
After Johnson downplayed the efficacy of COVID-19 vaccines and insisted that natural immunity poses a more valuable hinderance to the virus, Martin tore into Johnson for lacking "brains" and has since continued to chastise Republicans for spreading lies about vaccines and COVID-19 immunity.