Yesterday there was an article on PhillyVoice.com about an online petition that was created in an effort to discourage Pope Francis from appointing Fr. James Martin, SJ as the next Archbishop of Philadelphia. According to the petition, there is a “credible report” that he is under consideration.

The current archbishop, Archbishop Charles Chaput, submitted his resignation this year due to the requirement of doing so on your 75th birthday. Note that the resignation just has to be submitted at 75, but Chaput can continue to serve until a successor is named.

Those behind the online petition claim that Martin’s “ambiguity” in teaching about the LGBTQ community and Roman Catholic doctrine is a disqualifier. Martin and other Church leaders have had an ongoing public debate about the issue. The article linked in the first paragraph and this other article provide more details on the debate.

There isn’t any official word on who is being considered for the position of Archbishop of Philadelphia. So we do not know if Martin is under consideration or not, so take this as us reporting on a rumor.

Photo: Vatican News. Martin met with Pope Francis in September 2019.