PORT WASHINGTON, Wis. — Throughout their relationship, Joe Maddalena and Scott Lone have seen progress. The biggest of which took place nearly nine years ago.
“Officially married since they allowed us on December 21, 2014,” Maddalena said. “We got married in this very room.”
Maddalena’s glasses have a colorful reflection in them during the interview, with an oscillating Christmas tree glimmering with lights. There’s nothing under the tree right now, a week away from Christmas. But this news feels like an early present.
“It feels like a gift,” Maddalena said. “It was such great news and it continues to fill me with hope. I believe that the Pope has opened a door that shows the essence of God which is love and human relationships based on love. Those can be blessed.”
It’s something Maddalena had never imagined would happen, especially with his knowledge of the Catholic Church which goes a little beyond the layman.
“Yes, I was a priest,” Maddalena said.
From 1986 to 2005, Maddalena was an ordained priest.
“I left when I came out to myself,” Maddalena said. “I still wanted to be a priest and then, what was aching in my heart was I felt that loneliness. I came to the point where I could not live alone anymore.”
For Lone, he followed a similar path. He is a former Methodist pastor. He left his church in 2004. He’s glad to hear this news as well but has concerns.
Milwaukee Archbishop Jerome Listecki stated the Church’s stance on same-sex marriage is “between one man and one woman,” and said the news from Pope Francis is “not a blessing of a marriage itself.”
“I really don’t understand the commitment to a church that continues to treat women unequally, doesn’t recognize same-sex couples or members of the LGBTQA community,” Lone said. “From my perspective, it’s not enough. But I’m not Catholic.”
But as a practicing Catholic, Maddalena feels this is one step closer to the church accepting their marriage wholly.
“I think Scott and I are pioneers,” Maddalena said. “Eventually, the church, the world catches up and because the church already has a theology of love, it’s very easy to have in that theology of love same-sex unions. We just want to live life. We just want to live our life.”
Maddalena says they’re going to start planning on getting a blessing from a priest, with hopes of doing so for their 25th anniversary of being together in 2029.
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