‘Gay’ ABC Star Rejoins Church with His Husband by His Side

In a moment that stunned and inspired fans across faith and media circles alike, Good Morning America weekend anchor Gio Benitez has officially rejoined the Catholic Church — and he did it with his husband, Tommy DiDario, standing proudly beside him.

The 40-year-old ABC News correspondent, who’s been open about his faith and sexuality, shared emotional footage from his confirmation mass at Manhattan’s Church of St. Paul the Apostle, a parish known for its LGBTQ-friendly outreach.

“I found the Ark of the Covenant in my heart, stored there by the one who created me… exactly as I am,” Benitez wrote in a deeply personal Instagram post.

Benitez’s spiritual return was decades in the making. He was first baptized at 15 alongside his mother but admits he struggled to reconcile his faith with his identity.
“If God created me, how could He not love me?” he wrote. “I went on to study religion in college, searching for proof of God. But maybe I was just searching for proof of God’s love.”

After years in journalism and public life, it wasn’t until earlier this year that Benitez felt called back to the Church — a decision sparked by a mix of grief, reflection, and inspiration from the late Pope Francis’ message of inclusion.

When the pontiff passed away on April 21, Benitez watched Good Morning America guest Father James Martin, a Jesuit priest and LGBTQ advocate, speak about the pope’s “legacy of mercy.”

“It was the first time I had seen a Catholic priest speaking in such a beautiful way about LGBTQ people,” Benitez said. “His words struck me.”

Pope Francis made global headlines in 2013 when he said, “Who am I to judge?” — a groundbreaking moment for many LGBTQ Catholics who had long felt alienated. Father Martin later told NPR that Francis “did more for LGBTQ Catholics than all of his predecessors combined,” noting his calls to decriminalize homosexuality and his meetings with gay and transgender people.

Those teachings left a lasting impact on Benitez. In May, he quietly began attending services at St. Paul the Apostle. Father Eric Andrews’ sermon — “Love. One. Another.” — became a spiritual turning point.

“When we’re able to love freely and openly, and love ourselves as well, we are a long ways down the road to fulfilling the Kingdom of God,” Benitez quoted from the homily.

As his faith deepened, Benitez said he realized that the “divine love” he’d been seeking all his life had always been within him — “whispering guidance, gently reaching out with arms wide open.”

During his confirmation ceremony, he was surrounded by a close circle of friends and family, though he imagined even more spiritual support in the room.
“In my mind, those empty pews were filled with a cloud of witnesses: my grandparents who taught me how to pray, my aunts and uncles who helped raise me, and dear friends praying for me behind an invisible veil,” he reflected.

Benitez thanked his mother and sister for their “examples of grace in action,” and his husband Tommy — whom he married in 2016 after meeting online — for “supporting me through it all.”

The couple’s bond, once celebrated for breaking barriers on morning TV, now symbolizes a broader message of faith and acceptance.

Father James Martin responded simply under Benitez’s post: “Welcome!”

Benitez, a Cuban-American journalist from Miami, has long been one of ABC’s most visible faces. Known for covering transportation, aviation, and breaking news stories, he’s earned respect both for his reporting and his authenticity. His return to the Church mirrors a quiet but growing movement among LGBTQ Catholics seeking a home within their faith — one that Pope Francis and his allies helped reopen.

As Benitez wrote, “God’s loving mercy is unconditional.”

His story, shared to millions online, may now inspire others walking the same uncertain path between identity and belief.

Source: ABC News, NPR, Instagram