Illinois Senator Dick Durbin, on Dec. 15, sent a letter to Pope Francis defending U.S. Ambassador to the Dominican Republic Wally Brewster, who has been the subject of slurs heated rhetoric from Cardinal Nicolas de Jesus Lopez Rodriguez of the Archdiocese of Santo Domingo, according to a statement.
Brewster, a former Chicagoan who is openly gay, became ambassador to the Dominican Republic in 2013.
In his letter, Durbin wrote, "Ambassador Brewster is from my state of Illinois and he is a personal friend. I supported President Obama's selection of Ambassador Brewster and he was sworn into his position in my Senate office. Ambassador Brewster is gay and was married under the laws of the United States to his partner, Bob Satawake.
"Even before Ambassador Brewster's arrival in Santo Domingo in 2013, Cardinal Rodriguez launched a personal attack against him with public statements quoted in the popular press. The Cardinal used the hateful slur 'faggot,' which he continues to use to this day. ...The Cardinal described the Ambassador as a 'wife' who 'should stick to housework.'"
Durbin further reminded the Pope that, when speaking before Congress, he spoke of a collective responsibility to "defend and preserve the dignity of your fellow citizens in the tireless and demanding pursuit of the common good.
"I accept that challenge and I am calling on you to ask nothing less of the hierarchy of the Church," Durbin concluded.
