Cardinal To Meet With Choir Director Fired For Same-Sex Marriage Plans

(CBS) – Francis Cardinal George is hosting an unusual meeting Tuesday.

He'll ask a fired suburban choir director to explain his decision to marry another man and stay within the Catholic Church.

Colin Collette was a popular and respected music director at Holy Family Church in suburban Inverness. But his announcement of same-sex marriage on social media went against church teachings, and he was fired.

The parish was divided on the issue. Collette wants his job back. The cardinal isn't sounding optimistic.

"He's entering into a public union that the church can't recognize as sacramental and can't recognize as marriage," George told CBS 2 Monday.

The cardinal also addressed his health, saying he feels mostly well. His experimental cancer treatment doesn't harm his appetite like the chemotherapy did, and he is taking new pain medicine.

He has another visit this week for treatment, the cardinal said.