Priest suspended after supporting Paramus Catholic coach fired over same-sex marriage

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By ABBOTT KOLOFF
STAFF WRITER |
The Record
September 1, 2016, 9:31 PM
Last updated: Thursday, September 1, 2016, 9:51 PM

A North Jersey priest who announced last year that he was gay has been suspended by the Newark archbishop, a move that came after he expressed support for a former Paramus Catholic High School guidance counselor who was fired for being in a same-sex marriage.

The Rev. Warren Hall, a former Seton Hall chaplain who was working at a Hoboken church, was told of the decision on Wednesday, James Goodness, a spokesman for Newark Archbishop John J. Myers, said on Thursday.

Goodness, who said Hall was “not allowed to function as a priest in any way,” declined to provide the specific reasons for the suspension, but said all priests “promise reverence and obedience” to their bishops and also to support the “teachings and norms of the church.”

Hall told the Religion News Service, which broke the news on Thursday, that a church official had told him that he was being suspended for taking stands in favor of gay support groups and expressions of support for a former guidance counselor and basketball coach who is suing Paramus Catholic and the Newark Archdiocese after being fired earlier this year.

http://www.northjersey.com/news/priest-suspended-after-supporting-paramus-catholic-coach-fired-over-same-sex-marriage-1.1653658