Pro-Trump NJ Priest Dislikes Muslim Immigration, Loves Rainbows

ORANGE, NJ — He likes cigars, scotch and rainbows. Muslims and liberals on the other hand? Not so much.

It takes a certain kind of person to appreciate the political viewpoints of Peter West. The Catholic priest, an associate pastor at St. John's Catholic Church in Orange, doesn’t pull punches when it comes to letting you know how he feels about Islam, Hillary Clinton, President Trump and "whiny liberals."

West, who has lived in Orange and Fairfield, has amassed almost 10,000 loyal Facebook and Twitter followers by effusively praising Trump, railing against Muslims, assailing millennials as "snowflakes" who attend "cry-ins" and describing liberals as "smug and arrogant."

The religious leader has authored un-PC comments such as “Sharia law is incompatible with the Constitution of the United States,” and once shared a post that read “Liberals are acting like Trump is going to kill all the gays, make slavery legal again and take away women's rights. ... Like he's a Muslim or something.”

“I can only use the title ‘Father’ on my public figure Facebook page, not on my personal page,” West wrote in 2015. “Yet drag queens get to use any name they want. Go figure.”

He's also shared some controversial quotes.

West’s history of social media activism was chronicled in an NJ.com article, which posed the question: “Has this pro-Trump priest gone too far?”

Speaking with a reporter in context of West’s social media history, a spokesman with the Newark Archdiocese — which includes St. John's Catholic Church under its umbrella — issued the following statement about West’s online activity.

“Certainly, a priest doesn't give up his civil liberties when he is ordained, and he maintains the same right to freedom of expression as anyone else in the United States," the spokesman said. "That said, we are concerned about Father West's comments and actions, and will be addressing them according to the protocols of the church.”

In response, West posted the following message on Facebook in advance of the article’s release:

“A newspaper in NJ is planning on running a hit piece on me that I expect will include half-truths, distortions, if not outright lies. I may be compelled to leave social media. Please pray that my enemies do not prevail over me!”

West’s post opened the floodgates on comment sections across the internet, some critical of his political leanings but most in vehement support of his refusal to pull his punches.

• “Prayers of discernment and strength for you as you come under fire! I appreciate your no-nonsense approach in sharing truth.”
• “Praying the St. Michael prayer for you. This gets worse every day. Hope those of us who do not live in NJ will be able to see what they wrote. Praying your bishop supports you.”
• “If the media attacks, it sounds like you must be doing something right, Father. Way to go!”
• “Intelligent people don't trust the media. The liberals will believe whatever is spoon fed to them.”

WHO IS PETER WEST?

West, a proud Irish-Catholic with “roots in Pennsylvania coal country,” wrote about his own ancestry and history of immigration in a recent anti-abortion blog post.

“I have ancestors by the name of Curran who came from County Kilkenny and settled in the Pottsville area in the early nineteenth century,” he stated. “My grandmother’s name was Moore. She moved from Pennsylvania to the Bronx in the early twentieth century. My mother’s maiden name is Boyle. She was born in Scotland, but the family’s roots are in Counties Cavan and Donegal. My family on my mother’s side settled in West Orange, New Jersey.”

“We Irish have always been a welcoming and generous people,” West wrote. “We know what it’s like to be an underdog and to be treated as outcasts.”

West is a staunch pro-life supporter who served as vice president at Missions at Human Life International from 2011 to 2015.

He evidently enjoys a good cigar and a glass of scotch once in a while, as seen in this Facebook pic taken during a Super Bowl 51 gathering.

He also likes rainbows.

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