The Reverend 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 Mr Cutie embracing his longtime girlfriend surfaced last month.

Amid the scandal, Mr Cutie was removed from his South Beach church, protesters marched to support him, and he departed from Catholicism to become an Episcopal priest. The Episcopal church is the US branch of the Anglican communion.

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

Mr 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 spokesman at the Episcopal Diocese of Southeast Florida was not immediately returned. Mr Cutie gave his first sermon before Episcopalians last month, but must meet other requirements before becoming a full-fledged Episcopal priest.

Even before the scandal erupted, Mr 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'. -- AP