An outspoken pro-LGBT rights priest will not be 'dis-invited' from speaking during the Pope's visit to Dublin despite a petition that seeks to do so gaining almost 10,000 signatures.

The petition summary states that Fr James Martin should not be invited to the event as he “supports transgenderism for children,” and “favours homosexuals kissing during the mass.”

But the organisers of the event have said that there will be no change to the current line-up.

“With just over one week to go to the WMOF2018 pastoral congress in the RDS in Dublin, we are not expecting there to be any change to the line-up of speakers who have been invited to be part of the event,” a spokeswoman for the event said.

“We are looking forward to welcoming all 292 speakers from around Ireland and from across the world to our gathering of families in Dublin.”

The petition was started by the Irish branch of Tradition, Family, Property and has reached 9881 signatures today.

They've also sent a letter to Dublin Archbishop Diarmuid Martin asking him to stop the cleric from speaking at the event while the petition will also be sent to Auxiliary Bishops of Dublin, Bishop Raymond Field and Bishop Éamonn Walsh.

The letter states that as Fr Martin is in disagreement with “the Catechism of the Catholic Church’s reference to homosexual inclination as ‘gravely disordered,’” he does a “disservice to those he purports to help.”

“In this way he would prevent those with same sex inclination from arriving at a true understanding of their condition in the light of church teaching and God’s mercy,” the letter read. “This is a great disservice to those whom he purports to help.

“We believe that sowing error and confusion should have no place at the World Meeting of Families. For this reason, we strongly request you to disinvite Fr. James Martin from speaking at so important an event.”

Online Editors