Contact: Mary Anne Hackett, Catholic Citizens of Illinois,
708-354-5373

LA GRANGE, Ill., March 20, 2018 /Christian Newswire/ -- The following is submitted by Catholic Citizens of Illinois:

We were stunned and saddened at the announcement that Fr. James A. Martin, S. J. has been invited by Cardinal Blase Cupich to speak on March 22 and 23 in Holy Name Cathedral. Father Martin's talks have been met with protests and cancellations in other parts of the country. Most recently Archbishop Dennis Schnurr of Cincinnati has disavowed an upcoming talk by Fr. Martin in Cincinnati, noting his talk "is in no way sponsored by, sanctioned by, or associated with the Catholic Church."

We understand that Fr. Martin has written spiritual books and has preached conventional parish missions in the past. We further acknowledge that he will not be speaking on the subject of homosexuality. Nevertheless, his current notoriety is based on his book, Building a Bridge, which challenges Church doctrine in a number of significant ways. Receiving an award from a group that has been censured by the Vatican, as well as his rejection of Catholic teaching on homosexuality as presented in the Catechism of the Catholic Church make him an unacceptable speaker in a Catholic cathedral.

Cardinal Robert Sarah, Prefect of the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments, in an article in the Wall Street Journal last August, wrote that Fr. Martin's book has made him "one of the most outspoken critics of the church's message with regard to sexuality."

The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops has established policy regarding Catholic speakers: "The Catholic community and Catholic institutions should not honor those who act in defiance of our fundamental moral principles. They should not be given awards, honors or platforms which would suggest support for their actions."

Documentation of Fr. Martin's recent statements and public appearances may be found at www.catholiccitizens.org.  catholiccitizens.org/news/78142/fr-james-martin-sj-speak-holy-name-cathedral/.

Catholic Citizens of Illinois is a lay organization of Catholics, founded in 1997 to answer the call of the Second Vatican Council to genuine lay involvement in the life of the Church and society. We support Catholic values in the public life of Illinois, seeking to educate our fellow Catholics to serve as responsible witnesses to Christ in the midst of human society.