A ex-vicar married a Romanian male model 54 years younger than him on Tuesday in defiance of the Church of England's ban on same-sex marriage.

Philip Clements, 78, formerly parish priest in Eastry, Kent, married Florin Marin, 24, in a register office in Ramsgate, Kent Live reports.

'I've taken up many weddings, and I've almost gave up hope thinking I would be part of my own,' said Clements, who was a priest for 50 years.

'I never thought it would happen at my age. I've been a long time looking for you, Florin,' he said after the vows.

'And then I found you. Where have you been the last 78 years? Mostly non-existent.'

The pair met on a dating website after Clements kept his sexuality hidden until now.

The couple invited the local newspaper to the wedding to mark their stance against the Church's teachings. The CofE bars its clergy from taking or entering into gay marriages but they are allowed to be in a civil partnership, provided they vow to be celibate.

'As a priest, I want the church to think seriously about this issue and to change its teaching and rules to allow clergy as well as lay members of the church to marry someone of the same gender if that is how they feel,' Clements said.

'I think a lot of clergy must be with partners, or wanting to be with them, but they are stopped from being themselves by the rules of the church.'

He added: 'They mean well, they are good Christians. But they do not understand this aspect of human nature.'

The pair plan to move to Romania and begin a life there together.