SOUTHFIELD (WXYZ) — Since he was a little boy, Dave Garcia says the Catholic Church has disappointed him.
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"I was raised Catholic in a Mexican-American family. I was an altar boy my entire youth. I went on to coach basketball and baseball for Catholic schools. My entire Mexican family is Catholic. I am the only one who isn't anymore, precisely because of this kind of discrimination," said Garcia, responding to the Vatican's declaration Monday that same-sex unions are a sin and cannot be blessed by priests.
Garcia is the executive director for Affirmations, an advocacy group for the LGBTQ+ community. He says people are going to have to decide what religious denomination best represents them.
"Unfortunately for the Catholic Church, whose numbers continue to dwindle precisely because of bigoted policies such as this, there will be a reckoning."
Al Kresta, who heads up Ave Maria Communications and hosts a daily talk radio program, Kresta in the Afternoon, said anyone disappointed by the Vatican's declaration set themselves up for disappointment.
"Because there's been nothing in the church's teaching, nothing in its formal documents, which would lead one to believe that the historic teaching of the church was going to change on this," said the Catholic broadcaster.
Click on the video above to hear more reactions on the Vatican's announcement in Kimberly Craig's report.
