A Catholic university boss has said he “deeply regrets” a message from campus ministry suggesting students should vote to “protect marriage” between one man and one woman and reject “gender ideology.”
The head of Assumption University, a private Catholic university in Massachusetts, has attempted to row back the message sent by the university’s campus ministry in the run-up to the election.
Catholic university told students to vote against ‘intrinsically evil acts’.
Students were directed to a document from the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, which outlines ten policy goals as it calls on Catholics to resist “intrinsically evil acts”.
One of the goals states: “Protect the fundamental understanding of marriage as the life-long and faithful union of one man and one woman as the central institution of society; promote the complementarity of the sexes and reject false ‘gender’ ideologies; provide better support for family life morally, socially, and economically, so that our nation helps parents raise their children with respect for life, sound moral values, and an ethic of stewardship and responsibility.”
The ill-informed decision to promote the guidance led to fury at the university, with some professors speaking out in support of LGBT+ students as alumni threatened to withhold donations.
In an email to students on Wednesday, university president Francesco Cesareo apologised for “some of the language” in the document.
University boss ‘deeply regrets language’ of anti-LGBT+ voter plea.
According to MassLive, Cesareo said: “I deeply regret that some of the language in the document was received as a personal affront to LGBTQIA+ students and their allies as well as to their dignity as human beings.
“That was certainly not the intent. I acknowledge that unfortunate fact and regret that members of the community were hurt by that language.”
He added that “the university unequivocally respects and supports all students, faculty, and staff, including those who identify as LGBTQIA+”.
Cesareo continued: “Neither I, nor the university, consider members of the LGBTQIA+ community or their allies to be evil.
“They are, as the bishops have written, ‘created in the image and likeness of God and thus possess an innate human dignity that must be acknowledged and respected.'”
The document comes amid fresh tumult in the Catholic church over the Pope’s apparent comments in support of same-sex civil unions, which Bishops have long opposed.
Vatican insiders have claimed that the leader was “taken out of context” on the issue and reaffirmed that the church’s official position remains opposed to any form of legal recognition for same-sex couples.
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