Cape Town – A religious group is demanding that Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu be banned from visiting a United States Catholic university because of his pro-abortion and same-sex marriage views, the Cape Times reported on Wednesday.

At least 7 723 people had signed a petitioncalling for Gonzaga University in Washington State to withdraw its invitation to Tutu, while another online petition sent out by the Cardinal Newman Society, which champions Catholic identity in higher education, had attracted over 800 signatures. 

Tutu had accepted a request to deliver a keynote address at the university’s 125th anniversary celebrations. He would also be given an honorary Doctor of Laws degree.

The petition reads: “Although Archbishop Tutu performed wonderful work in South Africa, his positions on pre-born life, sexuality, and his disrespect for the Jewish people, should disqualify him from receiving any honours at any institution worthy of calling itself Catholic”.

A counter-petition by online community Faithful America had, however, already received 12 192 signatures.

It said “religious right extremists”, who had been waging a campaign of fear and intimidation on Catholic college campuses, should not be allowed to silence Tutu.

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