PHILADELPHIA (LifeSiteNews) — Holy Family University recently disinvited heterodox Jesuit priest Father James Martin as a May commencement speaker after a petition for his removal garnered over 11,000 signatures and a Rosary rally was planned.
The notoriously pro-LGBT priest had been invited to speak at HFU’s May 17 commencement ceremony and receive an honorary degree, prompting The American Society for the Defense of Tradition, Family, and Property (TFP) to launch a petition to the university’s president asking that Martin be removed from the speaker lineup and to plan a Rosary rally on the campus in protest. After the petition had received over 11,000 signatures, the university quietly disinvited Martin as a speaker, informing TFP during the Rosary rally.
“Fr. James Martin, the so-called ‘Rainbow Jesuit,’ was set to speak at Holy Family University’s 2025 graduation on May 17- until faithful Catholics took a stand,” TFP wrote in an X post announcing Martin’s cancellation.
“After a TFP student action petition gathered over 11,000 signatures and a public rosary rally was planned, HFU quietly removed Fr. Martin from the commencement speaker list,” they added.
Victory!
Fr. James Martin Cancelled After Catholic Protest
Watch: https://t.co/TjWnicXISWFr. James Martin, the so-called “Rainbow Jesuit,” was set to speak at Holy Family University’s 2025 graduation on May 17—until faithful Catholics took a stand.
After a TFP Student… pic.twitter.com/HCMN4PT69b
— TFP Student Action (@tfpsa) May 19, 2025
TFP’s petition had emphasized that Martin’s LGBT activism causes scandal among the faithful by contradicting Church teaching.
UPDATE: Catholic university in New Jersey cancels ‘drag bingo’ after students plan Rosary rally
“Fr. Martin’s public pro-LGBT activism and open revolt against Catholic teaching causes scandal, especially among faithful Catholic students,” the petition read.
“Fr. Martin’s promotion of ‘pride’ is at odds with the Bible, natural law, Papal documents, the Fathers of the Church, the Catechism of the Catholic Church, and a litany of saints spanning 2,000 years,” TFP added in the petition.
As the petition stated, the Catholic Church formally condemns homosexuality and calls people to live in chastity.
The Catechism teaches that “homosexual acts are intrinsically disordered” and “contrary to the natural law” and that the homosexual inclination is “objectively disordered.” The Catechism is very clear that homosexual activity can never be approved and repeats that “[h]omosexual persons are called to chastity.” Homosexual acts are mortal sins; therefore, anyone who commits these sins and does not repent through the sacrament of Confession is in danger of hell.
As the petition also noted, Martin has a long history of contradicting Catholic teaching on LGBT issues. The Jesuit priest has questioned the authoritative nature of the Church’s teaching on homosexuality. He has also promoted homosexual civil unions and has described viewing God as male as “damaging.”
READ: Cardinal Dolan endorses Fr. James Martin’s new LGBT activism group
Several Catholic prelates, including Cardinal Raymond Burke, have deemed the priest’s teaching as “not coherent with the Church’s teaching on homosexuality.”
