University reverses cancellation of chaplain who tweeted against abortion and assisted suicide

Sep 27, 2021 by

by Simon Caldwell, Catholic Herald:

A university has performed a U-turn on its decision to “cancel” a Catholic chaplain after he tweeted against abortion and assisted suicide.

The University of Nottingham has announced that it will now allow Fr David Palmer to serve Catholic students on campus “with immediate effect”.

During the summer it refused to recognise his appointment by the Bishop of Nottingham after he said on Twitter that abortion was the “slaughter” of unborn babies.

He also said assisted suicide was “killing the vulnerable” when the university wanted him to describe the practice as “end of life care”.

Fr Palmer refused to retract his remarks, arguing that the reflected the well-known and traditionally-held moral teaching of the Catholic Church.

The university reversed its decision just weeks after the Free Speech Union threatened to take it to court on the grounds that the cancellation of Fr Palmer represented a flagrant breach of the 2010 Equality Act that prohibits public institutions from discriminating against anyone on the basis of their religious or philosophical beliefs.

Fr Palmer said: “I’m glad the issue has been resolved and now look forward to getting on with the role of being the Catholic chaplain at the University of Nottingham and serving the Catholic students and staff as their priest as well as being available to anyone else at the university who may wish to speak to me.”

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