‘Father Oprah,’ Miami priest seen in racy tabloid photos, marries longtime girlfriend

Miami priest in photo scandal weds girlfriend

MIAMI — A telegenic Miami priest known as “Father Oprah,” who left the Catholic Church amid an uproar over tabloid photos of him kissing his girlfriend on the beach, made the relationship official Tuesday, marrying the woman he was involved with for about two years.

The Rev. Alberto Cutie and Ruhama Canellis were married by a judge in Coral Gables, according to Miami-Dade County court records. No other details of the wedding were known.

It was the latest in the public spectacle that started when photos of Cutie embracing his longtime girlfriend surfaced last month.

Amid the scandal, Cutie was removed from his South Beach parish, protesters marched to support him, and he departed from Catholicism to become an Episcopal priest.

Cutie, 40, did not respond to an e-mail seeking comment. Last month, in an interview with CBS, he said, “I believe that I’ve fallen in love and I believe that I’ve struggled with that, between my love for God, and my love for the church and my love for service.”

Canellis, 35, met Cutie in church. The priest said they were friends for years before becoming romantically involved. An e-mail to Canellis prompted an automatic reply that said the account was not being checked but to “keep us in your prayers.”

Cutie remains, technically at least, a Catholic priest, though the Miami archdiocese has barred him from celebrating Mass, providing the sacraments or preaching. Only the Vatican can fully remove him from the priesthood.

The Catholic archdiocese declined to comment on the marriage. A message left with a spokeswoman at the Episcopal Diocese of Southeast Florida was not immediately returned. Cutie gave his first sermon before Episcopalians last month, but must meet other requirements before becoming a full-fledged priest in the religion.

Even before the scandal erupted, Cutie’s face and voice were known to many for radio and TV broadcasts beamed throughout the Americas and in Spain. He was widely known as a relationship expert, even referred to as “Father Oprah,” and he authored a book titled “Real Life, Real Love: 7 Paths to a Strong, Lasting Relationship.”