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Seton Hall: Priest’s ‘Firing’ Has Nothing To Do With His Pro-LGBT Stance — ‘This Is Not A Big Thing’

By Shelley Hazen
Published on: 06:45 PST, May 18, 2015

The firing of a priest at Seton Hall University has turned into a pitched battle in which supporters of LGBT rights and the Catholic University both say Biblical teaching and the Pope is firmly in their camp.

But there is no certainty that Father Warren Hall, director of campus ministry, was fired over what would otherwise have been a benign Facebook post stating a personal opinion. The college denies that the two incidences are connected at all, and Hall is eligible for any assignment within the Archdiocese of Newark. The reason given was that his tenure at the college was simply over.

“This is something that priests do. This is not a big thing,” Archdiocese spokesman Jim Goodness told PolitickerNJ. “It’s a misnomer to think that the Church is reacting to anything. (It) has long taught about the sanctity of marriage as an institution between one man and one woman … (The) Church has long taught that every individual, regardless of sexual orientation, is to be treated with dignity and respect.”

But priests aren’t supposed to openly support lesbians, gays, bisexual and transgendered people. And that’s what this priest did, apparently posting a picture that supported “NO H8” on social media, People reported the seven-year-campaign was initially opposed to California’s short-lived ban on same sex marriage, but now expresses opposition to any form of discrimination or bullying.

“I’ve been fired from SHU for posting a pic on FB supporting LGBT ‘NO H8.’ I’m sorry it was met with this response. I’ll miss my work here,” the priest later wrote on Twitter.

A Change.org petition has been started to reinstate the priest at Seton, and the student who began it, Ethan Kraft, argued that Warren’s firing runs counter to the religious teachings the university is allegedly following, added the Washington Post.

“This action is neither in line with the teachings of Jesus Christ, nor the leader of the Roman Catholic Church, Pope Francis.”

His Holiness made headlines in 2013 when it was implied that he intended to reserve judgment of anyone’s sexual orientation, including priests, noting “who am I to judge?” But the faithful have refuted the Pope’s statement, and so has Seton, saying he merely “reaffirmed church teaching on the sanctity of marriage. What the popular opinion is, it’s not in sync with what the Holy Father has said. That change.org petition is incorrect,” Goodness said.

Regardless, many New Jersey politicians are standing with the priest and against Seton Hall, who’ve noted that the country supports LGBT rights and religious leaders are headed in that direction as well, PolitickerNJ noted. Advocate Andrea Bowen of Garden State Equality stated that opinion in blunter terms.

“I’m outraged, and this is horrifying … The teaching of the Gospels and indeed many of the statements of Pope Francis have talked about the inherent dignity and worth of human beings, which we know extends to LGBT people. This seems out of line with the church’s own teachings if they did indeed fire Father Hall. Seton Hall should reinstate (him) and apologize.”

[Photo Courtesy Dan Kitwood/Getty Images]

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