N.J. Priest Not Reassigned over Pro-lgbt Post, Church Says

By Bill Wichert
NJ.com
May 21, 2015

http://www.nj.com/essex/index.ssf/2015/05/nj_priest_not_reassigned_over_pro-lgbt_post_church.html

Rev. Warren Hall claimed last week that he was fired as director of campus ministry at Seton Hall University over a pro-LGBT social media post. Here, Hall leads a special mass for couples renewing their vows on Valentine’s Day 2014 at the Chapel of the Immaculate Conception on the university's South Orange campus. (Frances Micklow/The Star-Ledger) (Frances Micklow/The Star-Ledger)

A church official on Thursday refuted allegations that a priest is being removed as director of campus ministry at Seton Hall University as a result of a pro-LGBT Facebook post he made.

Rev. Warren Hall claimed in a tweet posted on Friday that he was "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."

But Jim Goodness, a spokesman for the Archdiocese of Newark, said in a statement on Thursday that Hall's pending removal was not in response to the Facebook post.

"There are always many factors that go into evaluating whether a particular assignment is a good fit for a priest," Goodness said.

"It is unfortunate that the tweet from Fr. Hall garnering so much media attention has been interpreted to suggest that the decision to assign another priest to the position of Director of Campus Ministry at Seton Hall was in response to Fr. Hall's advocacy of tolerance for men and women with same-sex attraction. That could not be farther from the truth."

Goodness added that the church's teachings maintain that "persons with a homosexual inclination 'must be accepted with respect, compassion, and sensitivity.'"

"The Church doesn't fire priests for tolerance; it condemns those who are intolerant," he said.

In a phone interview, Goodness said Hall's tenure as director of campus ministry will end in June, but said it has not been determined where he will be reassigned in the Archdiocese.

Goodness declined to explain the specific reasons for Hall's reassignment, saying many factors go into such decisions.

In the statement, Goodness indicated Hall's reassignment is part of the "normal transfer cycle that involves scores of priests each June."

As part of that process, "the Archdiocese routinely takes an extensive look at how the members of the clergy are meeting the considerable pastoral challenges before them, and then tries to match its priests to the ministries in which they might be most effective, for the overall good of the Church," Goodness said.

"In looking at the Archdiocesan 'bench' this Spring and at the totality of the ministries that the Archdiocese needed to staff, it was determined that a substitution at Seton Hall was in order."

Meanwhile, more than 5,000 people have signed a petition posted on Change.org to call for Hall's reinstatement. The petition was started by Seton Hall junior Ethan Kraft.

In a message posted with the petition, Kraft said Hall's Facebook post was "entirely in keeping with the values of our university's diverse student body."

"Father Hall epitomizes what it means to be a Pirate - encouraging, loving, strong-willed, and accepting, he inspires us to do better in and out for the classroom, and welcomes all with open arms, no matter what our background. We need more staff like him in the Catholic community, not less."

Hall has not responded to requests for comment this week.

Goodness acknowledged in his statement that some members of the Seton Hall community had raised questions a few months ago in regard to Hall's Facebook post about the "NOH8" campaign, which was started in response to a vote by California residents to ban same-sex marriage.

However, after Hall explained his reasons behind the Facebook post, "his response seemed to clear up the matter," Goodness said.

"Once he indicated that he had merely wanted to express his support for an end to hatred, a thoroughly Catholic position, no further questions were raised," Goodness added.

"At that time, Fr. Hall expressed surprise that the posting would have been understood by some as being in conflict with the Church's teaching on marriage, the same teaching that he had undertaken to uphold at the time of his ordination. There did not seem to be any reason to question his honesty on this matter. He chose to take the photo down and was allowed to continue in his position."

But Goodness added, "The incident did, however, bring to light a need to clarify the job description of the Director of Campus Ministry and, in particular, to make more explicit the extent of the Director's accountability to the University and to the Archbishop.

"The appointment of a new Director of Campus Ministry gives the Archdiocese an important opportunity to undertake that clarification."

Goodness said the director's position is "quite important in our local Church's outreach to students and young adults, a section of the population that requires a joyful and well-reasoned proclamation of the Gospel.

"The priest in that position needs to develop a rather specialized skill set, both pastoral and administrative, and must have the ability to articulate for the students, faculty and staff on campus the nuances of Church teaching, all the while bringing them closer to Christ. Moreover, the Director has to be able to communicate a unified vision for the considerable staff that report to him."