[livius]

“This public act is unmistakable and verifiable and serves to cause scandal in the church and confusion among the laity,” said Michael Donohue, the spokesman. “The church can’t let a diocesan employee, especially one who has a significant and public role in the liturgy of the Mass, and other ceremonies, to stand in open defiance of church teachings.”

This is the point. The Church is not on a witch-hunt to sniff out suspected gays, either those employed by it or just plain parishioners; after all, homosexual acts are just a sin like any other, and who knows if that person who looks or acts "gay" in the opinion of observers (a) isn't committing such sins at all or (b) is repenting if he does and trying to avoid them.

But "gay marriage" is an attack on the Church's legal and moral teaching and a public, formal act that denies Catholic teaching about the sinfulness of homosexuality. So it simply can't be ignored.

[achilles2000]

Practicing sodomites are not engaging in a sin “just like any other”. There is also something called “church discipline”. Really. All you have to do is read your Bible to find out.

Even secular conservatives are coming to the conclusion that there is no peaceful coexistence with sodomites.