A gay priest in New Jersey has been suspended for his support of LGBTQ advocacy groups and gay Catholics.
Rev. Warren Hall told Religion News Service that he was notified of his suspension by phone on Wednesday. Newark Archbishop John Myers, with whom Hall has clashed in the past, accused him of “confusing the faithful.”
Related: Gay Man Fired By Catholic Diocese Files Federal Lawsuit
Hall will no longer be able to celebrate Mass in public, present himself as a priest or work in the parishes where he had been ministering.
How about we take this to the next level?
Our newsletter is like a refreshing cocktail (or mocktail) of LGBTQ+ entertainment and pop culture, served up with a side of eye-candy.
Sadly, my differences with my bishop continue. Today he has suspended me from priestly ministry. @Pontifex's Reform are taking too long.
— Warren Hall (@Warrmeister) August 31, 2016
“The problem is that we have an archbishop who doesn’t believe you can be gay and Catholic,” told RNS.
Hall voiced support for Kate Drumgoole, former dean and head basketball coach at Paramus Catholic High School, who was fired when the school found out she was in a same-sex relationship. Drumgoole recently filed a lawsuit in Hackensack Superior Court alleging discrimination, NJ.com reports. Drumgoole also claims she was fired as retaliation for notifying administrators that three students alleged they had been sexually abused during a 2011 trip to Europe.
Myers’ previously fired Hall from Seton Hall after he posted his support for the “NOH8” campaign.
Hall said he was committed to his vocation as a priest and to the vow of celibacy he took, and later confirmed that he was gay.
Related: Priest Fired For Being Gay Says Church Is Making Lives Of Gay Catholics “Hell”
The Newark Archdiocese responded that “someone who labels himself or another in terms of sexual orientation or attraction contradicts what the (Catholic) Church teaches.”
Yet Myers assigned Hall to assist at two parishes in Northern New Jersey two months later. Hall continued his public support of LGBTQ issues, speaking out in support of groups such as Gays Against Guns, the LGBT Community Center in New York, Catholic LGBTQ organization New Ways Ministry and an unofficial gay and lesbian ministry at the church’s World Youth Day in Poland in July.
Hall said it would be hard to break the news to parishioners.
“They fully welcomed me after my firing from Seton Hall last year, they know my personal story and made me a member of the family.
“Since my firing from Seton Hall and coming out last year I felt an obligation to use this as an opportunity to more directly let people know of God’s love for all of us and that gay Catholics should stay in the church and work for more wider acceptance,” he wrote. “I do not feel I ever preached or taught anything contrary to the Gospel (and) this is true from my entire 27 years of ordination” as a priest.
“Every Catholic priest promises to be reverent and obedient to his bishop,” said James Goodness, a spokesman for Myers. “A priest’s actions and statements always must be consistent with the discipline, norms and teachings of the Catholic Church. When they are ordained, priests agree to accept the bishop’s judgment about assignments and involvement in ministry.”
Related: Ireland’s Oldest Seminary Rocked By Widespread Grindr Use Among Priests
Francis DeBernardo, executive director of New Ways Ministry, called Hall “courageous” and said “the archbishop is saying that his church fears associating with LGBT people – a fear which is contrary to the gospel.”
rand503
Yes, indeed. The Catholic laity might be confused that the church is open and welcoming to everyone when in fact it is not.
rand503
What is really bizarre about this whole thing is that the Catholic church really still believes that the flock has no access to other information other than what is spewed out to them on Sundays, and that everyone must and does actually believe everything they say.
Instead of actually engaging people in the debate over gays and lesbians in the church, the church is saying “we have one position, and that is anti-gay, and there is no room for discussion or debate. Believe it or be gone.”
robho3
Ahhhh religion…. Got to love it.
Kieran
if Myers really wanted to uphold Catholic standards he’d make Catholic school employees sign a contract promising that they will not divorce or use contraception. Why single out gay employees for a religious test?
Heywood Jablowme
Confusing the Faithful would be a fairly good name for a rock band. All the really good names are taken already, of course.
“The Newark Archdiocese responded that ‘someone who labels himself or another in terms of sexual orientation or attraction contradicts what the (Catholic) Church teaches.’” I’m not Catholic but is this statement even true? Or is this some totally new “traditional” view in recent years? Does a heterosexual priest (if there are any, lol) get fired for making a comment about identifying as heterosexual?
I thought their position was it’s okay to BE gay and be celibate: for instance, the famous Father Judge who died on 9/11.
Kangol
Background: Archbishop John Myers is one of the arch-homophobes in the US Catholic church. He also is a notorious protector of pedophile priests, and even had to oust an underling who’d let a monstrous pedophile priest run amok. Myers also has been criticized for splurging on his lavish retirement mansion in suburban New Jersey. Myers is a total hom0phobic, pedophile-protecting greedy scumbag, so no surprise that he’s going after this decent, out priest.
lcandela123
Just another example of why the Catholic Church is a piece of shit that should be burned to the ground.
Sluggo2007
The Catholic Church still believes they’re fooling everyone after all these years. Religion is such BS!
Stilinski26
He is a good looking daddy
Chris
If you put aside the religious BS, what this Bishop has done is to fire someone due to his sexuality. The real life implications for this priest who looks to be older than 40 entails his work prospects and the possibility of his having any sort of decent retirement.
Yeah, I know that all sorts of legislation gives the Catholic Church exemptions from some of this nation’s most basic civil rights. But actions like those taken by this Bishop have a direct impact on the Church’s employees’ livelihoods and futures. We do need to take another look at those exemptions from basic Civil Rights law.