If you need another reminder of they hypocrisy nestled into oh-so-many of the world’s religions institutions (as if there weren’t enough already), the following statement should do the trick: A priest has been fired after encouraging his community to — get this — exercise compassion.
Rev. Warren Hall claims he was relieved from his position as director of Seton Hall campus ministry in South Orange, New Jersey after he made a Facebook post supporting the LGBT NOH8 campaign.
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Here’s the now-deleted Tweet he sent when he broke the news:
How about we take this to the next level?
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“Seton Hall University does not comment on personnel matters,” Laurie A. Pine, a spokeswoman for Seton Hall, said in a statement. “The Archbishop of Newark appoints the Director of Campus Ministry, who serves at his discretion.”
Ethan Kraft, a student at Seton Hall, started a Change.org petition, asking the Archdiocese of Newark to reverse its decision.
“This action is neither in line with the teachings of Jesus Christ, nor the leader of the Roman Catholic Church, Pope Francis,” Kraft said. “Father Hall is a well-loved member of the Seton Hall community, and much of the student body is shocked and saddened by this decision.”
Hall addressed his supporters on Twitter, still managing to encourage positivity:
Grateful for all the support. Dont be angry!! Turn this into an opportunity for open/reasonable discussion on LGBT issues on a Cath Campus.
— Warren Hall (@Warrmeister) May 15, 2015
For an extra dose of duplicity, the Washington Post reports that the firing comes as the university basketball team is recruiting Derrick Gordon, who is the first openly gay Division I men’s basketball player.
The Post adds:
Seton Hall’s administrators rejected students’ attempts to form a campus gay and lesbian organization in 1993 and 2003, according to the Asbury Park Press. In 2010, Archbishop of Newark John J. Myers publicly criticized the offering of an undergraduate seminar titled “The Politics of Gay Marriage.”
Myers has been under fire for a $500,000 renovation of his retirement home and for his handling of the sex abuse crisis in his archdiocese.
Seton Hall, a school of about 5,000 undergraduates in South Orange, N.J., has made a push to recruit Gordon, who drew national attention after he came out on ESPN last year.
James Hart
The new bishop in Newark was personally appointed by Pope Francis. So, the pope isn’t opposed to these types of actions. He did them himself when he was the archbishop of Buenos Aires, Argentina.
Kieran
Archbishop Myers of Newark is scheduled to retire in July 2016 when he turns 75. Pope Francis has already named the man who will be Myers’ successor, which is unusual. It is a clear signal the Pope isn’t happy with the leadership of the archdiocese. As soon as Myers submits his resignation, he’ll be off to his lavish retirement mansion in the exclusive NJ suburbs.
OhHellNo
You’d think Catholics would have a better grip on tolerance, since they tolerate all their child-screwing priests being moved to new parishes instead of jailed for life.
Transiteer
Internal politics, in a political Organization. It’s not that they don’t mean what they preach, they do when they preach it, they just don’t believe any of it. For good reason.
Kangol
James Hart:
Are you sure? Archbishop John J. Myers of Newark was appointed Archbishop of Newark in 2001 by Pope John Paul II, not Pope Francis.
Also, don’t forget that Myers has been accused of shielding pedophilic priests, yet is rabidly anti-gay. He loves child molesters but not children or gay people.
And as Kieran says, the monster built a lavish nest for itself in the NJ suburbs, using Archdiocesan dollars.
A quote: “The weekend home of Roman Catholic Archbishop John Myers is already a 4,500-square-foot getaway in suburban New Jersey. It features five bedrooms, three baths, a three-car garage, elevator and swimming pool set on 8 acres in Hunterdon County, one of the wealthiest counties in the country.”
Talk about the anti-Christ, Myers is the worst!
Jim Long
WT???
jwtraveler
@OhHellNo: I was thinking that all the priest has to do to get his job back is to rape a couple of altar boys.
Avery Alvarez
There are a few members of the clergy that do the right thing, and what does the CC do?
Smack them down, of course.
NJjoe
This is why I am a former Catholic. This pastor was doing the most Christian thing to do – tolerance acceptance- and he’s let go. The Church needs a clergyman like him since their “numbers” are at an all time low. I do not want to be associated with a religion of such hypocrites and child molesters. The Catholic church exercises compassion on their own terms and convenience which will ultimately continue their decline of parishioners.
Clark35
Oh well.
Clark35
It’s funny to me how Catholics will claim that pope Francis is totally different, for LGBT rights, etc. but in reality he’s not.