'Well-Loved' Priest Fired From His Catholic University Post in N.J. for Supporting Gay Rights

A 'well-loved" priest has been fired from his position as director of the campus ministry at Seton Hall University in Newark, New Jersey, after he posted a comment on Facebook supporting a no-hate campaign against gays.

In a post on Twitter last May 15, the Rev. Warren Hall said he was removed from his post by the Archdiocese of Newark, N.J., for publicly supporting the "NOH8″ campaign supporting the rights of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender – commonly known as LGBT – community.

Ethan Kraft, a student at Seton Hall, immediately launched a Change.org petition, asking the Archdiocese of Newark to reverse its decision. The petition had been signed by 1,310 students to date.

"The Archdiocese of Newark has fired Father Warren Hall from Seton Hall University for sharing a 'NO H8' photo on Facebook, in opposition to LGBT discrimination," the campaign on Change.org said.

"This action is neither in line with the teachings of Jesus Christ, nor the leader of the Roman Catholic Church, Pope Francis," Kraft said in an e-mail as reported by the Washington Post. "Father Hall is a well-loved member of the Seton Hall community, and much of the student body is shocked and saddened by this decision."

Curiously, the news of Hall's sacking came at a time when Seton Hall University was reported to be actively recruiting Derrick Gordon, the first openly gay Division I men's basketball player, in its men's basketball team. Hall used to minister to Seton Hall University sports teams.

The majority of Catholic colleges in the U.S. were founded and continue to be administered by members of religious orders like the Jesuits, Dominicans or Franciscans. But Seton Hall was founded and continues to be directly run by the Archdiocese of Newark, N.J.

"I've been fired from SHU for posting a pic on FB supporting LGBT "NO H8,"' Hall tweeted on Friday. He has since removed the tweet. "I'm sorry it was met with this response. I'll miss my work here."

The following day, Hall tweeted, "Grateful for all the support. Dont be angry!! Turn this into an opportunity for open/reasonable discussion on LGBT issues on a Cath Campus."

The online "NOH8" campaign, which supports LGBT rights, posts photos that often show celebrities with their mouths taped shut.

Seton Hall is the the oldest Diocesan university in the U.S. It is governed by a 16-member board of trustees, 11 seats of which are filled by members of the Archdiocese of Newark. The Archbishop of Newark serves as chairman of the board.

Seton Hall has made previous decisions showing its anti-gay leanings. In 1993 and 2003, university administrators rejected students' attempts to form a campus gay and lesbian organization, according to the Asbury Park Press. In 2010, Archbishop of Newark John J. Myers publicly lambasted the offering of an undergraduate seminar titled "The Politics of Gay Marriage."

Myers has been under fire for reportedly renovating his retirement home at a cost of $500,000 and for his handling of the sex abuse crisis in his archdiocese, the Washington Post reported.

Catholic Church doctrine teaches that marriage can only be between a man and a woman. But even in Catholic schools, universities and parishes in the U.S., tensions are reportedly rising as some liberal members of the clergy have reportedly been ousted from their posts amid shifting views on gay marriage.

A Catholic university reportedly told a student group last year to postpone a screening of the movie "Milk," which was about gay rights pioneer Harvey Milk.

However, in 2014, the University of Notre Dame made a push to welcome LGBT student athletes.