Given the context of the conversations occurring over the past week, I want you to know of the continued support for the LGBTQ community by myself and the Division of Mission and Ministry.
An essential principle of advocacy of the LGBTQ community, and one that we embrace together, is that love is love – and love is not a sin. It is a gift from God and an opportunity. Love is the way of human fulfillment and we pray that each person finds love in their own life.
In his encyclical, Fratelli Tutti: On Fraternity and Social Friendship, Pope Francis invites us to reflect on love and reminds us that our mission is not to impose doctrine, but to simply spread the love of God. To all people, without exception. The Vincentian spirit calls us to love and ennoble the God-given dignity of all, and we will continue to follow that spirit in all that we do.
One of the ways we wish to publicly show our support is through the signing of a statement made by a group of Catholic Bishops affirming the LGBTQ community. The statement declares that, “All people of goodwill should help, support, and defend LGBT youth; who attempt suicide at much higher rates than their straight counterparts; who are often homeless because of families who reject them; who are rejected, bullied and harassed; and who are the target of violent acts at alarming rates.” It tells LGBTQ community members “we stand with you and oppose any form of violence, bullying or harassment directed at you. Know that God created you, God loves you, and God is on your side.” DePaul University Mission and Ministry has added our name to the list of the statement signers: https://tylerclementi.org/catholicbishopsstatement/
For LGBTQ community members at DePaul and beyond, we see you, we love you, and we are with you.
Fr. Guillermo Campuzano, CM
Vice President, DePaul Division of Mission and Ministry
Yes. As it has been taught and supported for decades and beyond, “love the sinner but hate the sin.” Unless Catholic teaching in this respect has somehow changed, but who would do that? I love all my brothers and sisters in CHRIST no matter their state in this life. God gave us all choices to make in this life so He has the first and last word for every individual. I hope that no one would scew those long held teachings. God sees the heart in everyone! May God bless you all.
While I am very glad you support this statement, I am concerned of your use of “love the sinner but hate the sin.” Using that point implies that being LGBTQIA is a sin and is an indirect form of homophobia. Being LGBTQIA is not a sin. The article states that outright. I admire your commitment to love and seeing God’s blessings in everyone, but only through examining statements like that and other “soft” forms of homophobia can one truly support the LGBTQIA community.
This is paramount for DePaul to accept people of any background.
Thank you.
In addition to validating the worth of LGBTQ people as individuals, I think the University should also take a stand toward endorsing the relationships that LGBTQ people establish with each other. There’s a certain holiness when two people decide to create a union and I think DePaul needs to struggle with a respectful way to distinguish its philosophy on same sex unions from Rome’s latest pronouncement. The pope’s refusal to bless same sex unions because he considers them sin-based, has been incredibly painful to hear.
[…] Guillermo Campuzano, vice president of DePaul’s Division of Mission and Ministry, published a statement of support for the LGBTQ+ community on March 19 in light of the Vatican’s recent refusal to bless same-sex […]