Churchgoers in the northern Slovak village of Turany are rallying behind a Lutheran chaplain who has been reprimanded for comments made supporting LGBT rights, although none were made during church services. During internal discussions for the failed 2015 referendum asking Slovak citizens to ensure that marriage remains strictly between a man and a woman, Jakub Pavlus explained he did not share the church's position on the issue. According to the news site cas.sk, these private comments caught up with the 27 year old chaplain last week, with superiors asking him in a telephone call whether he had changed his opinion, to which Pavlus explained he had not. Subsequently the chaplain learned his contract with the church would not be renewed. Pavlus said to cas.sk that he had never voiced his personal view on equal marital rights to the public. The bishops behind the decision are remaining silent on the issue.
