SHU priest fired for supporting gay rights

Really sad for all the students at SHU. 

http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/acts-of-faith/wp/2015/05/16/catholic-priest-says-he-was-fired-from-university-job-for-facebook-post-supporting-gay-rights/

Wow. Glad I didn't get the job I applied for there, since I clearly would not have lasted long. Such hypocrisy, to fire a man for supporting LGTB rights while they are recruiting an openly gay athlete. What a crock.

I saw this on Facebook.  Such hypocrisy.  Jesus would be rolling over in his grave, if he had one (oh STOP!)

Not to cut the school any slack, but it's the archdiocese of Newark that is in charge of his hiring and firing. But I haven't heard the school say anything to contradict the archdiocese

I hope there's been some misunderstanding, but I am pretty much resigned to the fact that this situation is probably exactly as absurd as it has been initially reported.

I work at Manhattan College, a Catholic college. I can't predict for sure what it would do if it were in Seton Hall's shoes, but there is a lot of talk about equal rights and equal treatment, and I suspect it would be different. I hope Seton Hall eventually comes into the 21st century and sees how to apply human rights to people based on their humanity, not their sexuality.

Ah, yes. The Archdiocese of Newark. The same people who had a man who had 6 children in 12 years talk to us about "natural family planning" during my pre cana, and who made an awful, sexist joke that all of the women in the audience literally booed and hissed at. And when I wrote a letter to them expressing my displeasure at the choice in speaker, they wrote back and basically said, "He's great. We're right. You're wrong."

Never gonna change.

Archbishop Myers is planning to retire next year and it won't come soon enough!

Two thoughts.  First, there is a big difference between a priest, who is inherently seen as a part of the hierarchy (because he is) and someone who just plays sports.  That difference is wholly consistent with Pope Francis's position.  Second, not sure why we had to start bashing every random teaching, but NFP does work.  We had to wait to have children for four years for medical reasons, and did not conceive,and have used NFP for another six years post-kids for similar reasons and have had no surprises.  It isn't easy, but it does work.

saltbagel said:

Two thoughts.  First, there is a big difference between a priest, who is inherently seen as a part of the hierarchy (because he is) and someone who just plays sports.  That difference is wholly consistent with Pope Francis's position.  Second, not sure why we had to start bashing every random teaching, but NFP does work.  We had to wait to have children for four years for medical reasons, and did not conceive,and have used NFP for another six years post-kids for similar reasons and have had no surprises.  It isn't easy, but it does work.

 I think the point is that if you want to use natural family planning, that is your choice.  But to teach it as the only form of family planning that is sanctioned by the Church is to impose your choice on others.  And while I am glad it has worked for you, it has been an abysmal failure for many others who have very irregular cycles.  And, of course, it does absolutely nothing to stop the transmission of STDs, but I guess you might say that if sex is only allowed within the confines of one single marriage then that should not be an issue--except history is replete with partners who seem to somehow stray from that contingency and then infect their partner.

Right you are, mfpark, NFP is for people who accept Catholicism (or randomly want to do NFP).  I have a super irregular cycle.  I suspect you and many people reading this think NFP is the Rhythm Method.  It isn't.  My primary point, though, is at SHU is (very weakly) a Catholic institution, so shouldn't we expect the head of campus ministry to teach what the Church he represents does?

The point is that the guy was only talking to the men in the audience, clearly, because he was making SEXIST JOKES to a room that was 50% women. And to have that many kids in that short of a timeframe doesn't instill a ton of *faith* in me that his birth control method works. Give me a couple with two kids in 12 years and I may want to listen.

And furthermore, the Archdiocese was so rude in their response to me that I felt completely dismissed twice in this process (once by NFP dude and once by the Archdiocese).

Annemarie, I do not want to diminish your experience of been subjected to such jerks.  That stinks.  Unfortunately, they made the teachings they were meant to explain unattractive for reasons not directly related to the merit of the teachings themselves.

LL_ said:

Not to cut the school any slack, but it's the archdiocese of Newark that is in charge of his hiring and firing. But I haven't heard the school say anything to contradict the archdiocese

Don't hold your breath waiting for it either.  What an absolute joke.  Thankfully there are other Catholic universities in this country who aren't so sadly and silently beholden to their archbishop masters and their dogma.  "Cura personalis", indeed.

ctrzaska said:

LL_ said:

Not to cut the school any slack, but it's the archdiocese of Newark that is in charge of his hiring and firing. But I haven't heard the school say anything to contradict the archdiocese

Don't hold your breath waiting for it either.  What an absolute joke.  Thankfully there are other Catholic universities in this country who aren't so sadly and silently beholden to their archbishop masters and their dogma.  "Cura personalis", indeed.

 As a Diocesan University, I'm pretty sure SHU is in a different position than lots of other Catholic schools when it comes to these types of matters. 

ctrzaska, I appreciate your post.

istudymemory, could you explain further? Are you defending the university's action?

I thought it wasn't the university's action.

One more reason why this institution should not receive any preferential treatment from the BOT.  It is time to stop bending over backwards for them.

Tom_Reingold said:

ctrzaska, I appreciate your post.

istudymemory, could you explain further? Are you defending the university's action?

It wasn't the University's action. I'm plenty bothered by the situation but recognize that because SHU has a particular relationship to the Archdiocese with Archbishop Myers serving as the President of the Board of Regents and Chairman of the Board of Trustees, there may not be the kind of freedoms for response that one might have at an institution supported by a religious order (e.g., Jesuit).

I should state that all of this is based on my individual understanding, not from conversations with the administration. 

.

soorlady said:

Yea, I can see how it happened... preaching love and tolerance to kids and all...  Really hope the graduates put NO H8 on their mortarboards tonight. 

That was my initial response but a friend pointed out that technically NoH8 came out of marriage equality talks so that is how you can spin this as contrary to church teaching instead of it being a post aimed at anti-discrimination.

And just to be clear, I'm personally bothered. Greatly. And I do hope the students do something meaningful tonight. 

So he's fired as a priest but not as a professor?

and how terribly ironic and unfortunate,  this appeared hopeful...

http://www.nj.com/setonhall/index.ssf/2015/05/njs_derrick_gordon_first_openly_gay_mens_div_1_bas.html#incart_river

"Former UMass guard Derrick Gordon is coming home. The Plainfield, N.J. native told USA TODAY Sports he is transferring to Seton Hall.

Gordon, the first openly gay Division I men's college basketball player, announced in March he planned to leave UMass. Gordoncame out in April of 2014."

istudymemory said:

ctrzaska said:

LL_ said:

Not to cut the school any slack, but it's the archdiocese of Newark that is in charge of his hiring and firing. But I haven't heard the school say anything to contradict the archdiocese

Don't hold your breath waiting for it either.  What an absolute joke.  Thankfully there are other Catholic universities in this country who aren't so sadly and silently beholden to their archbishop masters and their dogma.  "Cura personalis", indeed.

 As a Diocesan University, I'm pretty sure SHU is in a different position than lots of other Catholic schools when it comes to these types of matters. 

They are.  Thus my use of "beholden".  I'm not disputing the source of the action, which I find both deplorable and unsurprising, but their reaction to it.  But, as a Diocesan institution, it's the luck of the draw when it comes to archbishops and/or other church leaders making decisions... some might let it slide, some might not.  How one reacts to it is the key for them.

Tom_Reingold said:

So he's fired as a priest but not as a professor?

 I don't believe it was either.  I think he was in an advisory role and not a prof, but could be wrong.  Regardless, still ridiculous.

FWIW, "Hall was director of Seton Hall’s campus ministry." That position is filled by the diocese, but it sounds like a real job, not jut a consultancy or advisory gig. The article doesn't state whether he was fired as a priest, but I think that would take MUCH more than this, and he has been let go from his job with the university.

PeggyC said:

FWIW, "Hall was director of Seton Hall’s campus ministry." That position is filled by the diocese, but it sounds like a real job, not jut a consultancy or advisory gig. The article doesn't state whether he was fired as a priest, but I think that would take MUCH more than this, and he has been let go from his job with the university.

 I'm sure if he was fired as a priest they would have used the word defrocked. It's too cool of a word to pass up any opportunity to actually use.

Agreed.  I was merely equating (spiritual) advisory with ministry in terms of differentiating the role from that of a prof, and playing it a bit loose with the definitions/roles.

PetuniaBird said:

Archbishop Myers is planning to retire next year and it won't come soon enough!

 If this is true, it's the best news I've heard about the Archdiocese since I can remember...

...unless, of course, the replace him with someone more conservative and more scandal-plagued -- which might just be par for that course.

Juniemoon said:

PetuniaBird said:

Archbishop Myers is planning to retire next year and it won't come soon enough!

 If this is true, it's the best news I've heard about the Archdiocese since I can remember...

...unless, of course, the replace him with someone more conservative and more scandal-plagued -- which might just be par for that course.

 All signs would point to Archbishop Hebda, who was appointed coadjutor last year, taking over. Unlike "auxiliary bishops," a coadjutor has more or less equal authority and is a predesignated successor.