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St. Michael's College Convocation in 2018, Toronto, Canadastmikes.utoronto.ca

TORONTO, Canada, May 31, 2021 (LifeSiteNews) — A Catholic college in Canada has become the first in the country to sign onto a statement released by a U.S.-based pro-homosexual advocacy group in partnership with pro-LGBT Catholic bishops in support of young people who identify as LGBT. The statement tells such young people that “God is on your side.”

The executive committee of the University of St. Michael’s College, which is federated with the University of Toronto, voted unanimously earlier this month to add its name to a statement released by some pro-LGBT U.S. Catholic bishops in partnership with the pro-homosexual Tyler Clementi Foundation in support of young people who identify as LGBT.

“Offering our concern and support for the wellbeing of LGBT young people, including our own students, is entirely in keeping with our core values at St. Michael’s,” said University President David Sylvester in a May 12 press release about the vote.

The Tyler Clementi Foundation, which publicly promotes the normalization of homosexuality, bears the name of an 18-year-old man who committed suicide in 2010 after his roommate at university filmed him engaging in homosexual acts with another student and then released the footage to the public. “Without Tyler’s knowledge, his roommate secretly pointed his computer’s camera at Tyler’s bed, left the room, and invited other students online to watch Tyler in a most private, intimate act with another man,” states the foundation’s website about the event. The website encourages people to “accept and embrace others, especially LGBTQ+ youth, for their unique identities that make this world a better place.”

The Tyler Clementi Foundation’s vision of the human person and sexuality is at odds with Catholic teaching. The Catholic Church teaches that homosexual acts are immoral. The Catechism of the Catholic Church states that “basing itself on Sacred Scripture, which presents homosexual acts as acts of grave depravity, tradition has always declared that ‘homosexual acts are intrinsically disordered.’ They are contrary to the natural law. They close the sexual act to the gift of life. They do not proceed from a genuine affective and sexual complementarity. Under no circumstances can they be approved” (CCC 2357). The Catholic Church furthermore teaches that same-sex attraction is also “objectively disordered” since God created sexual attraction for the purpose of drawing a man and a woman together to become husband and wife in marriage. The Catholic Church holds that God does not make anyone “gay.”

St. Michael’s College states on its website that its vision is to be a “recognized leader in promoting respectful dialogue and action on care for our common home (Laudato si’) and solidarity with the human family (Fratelli Tutti).” It states that its mission is to challenge “all its members to exercise transformative leadership in service of the common good and care of all creation.”

LifeSiteNews reached out to St. Michael’s College asking why a Catholic college is signing on to a statement by a pro-homosexual advocacy group that advocates for positions contrary to Catholic moral teaching. LifeSite also asked St. Michael’s College if it affirms with the Catholic Church that homosexual acts are “intrinsically disordered” and that same-sex attraction is “objectively disordered.” No response was provided by press time.

So far, 14 U.S. bishops, including Newark Cardinal Joseph Tobin, have added their names to the Tyler Clementi statement. The bishops are joined by about 150 religious orders, schools, parishes, and organizations — all Catholic — who support the statement.

“As Catholic Bishops in the United States, we join with the Tyler Clementi Foundation in standing up for at-risk LGBT youth in our country,” reads the statement.

“The Catholic Church values the God-given dignity of all human life and we take this opportunity to say to our LGBT friends, especially young people, that we stand with you and oppose any form of violence, bullying or harassment directed at you,” the statement continues. “Most of all, know that God created you, God loves you and God is on your side.”

St. Michael’s College has a history of backing the normalization of various sexual identities.

In 2002, the College put out a “statement on inclusiveness,” approved by the governing body, that states, “St. Michael’s is committed to doing everything it can do to ensure that people of all backgrounds regardless of colour, gender, ethnicity, sexual orientation, social or economic class, and nationality will feel welcome in its midst.”

In 2003, the College’s then-principal Mark McGowan denounced a lecture by world renowned Catholic philosopher Peter Kreeft given at the College where the philosopher expounded on Catholic teaching regarding homosexuality.

The Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith recently pushed back against Catholic clergy seeking to bless homosexual couples, telling them that God “does not and cannot bless sin.”

For respectful communications

Dr. David Sylvester, President
The University of St. Michael’s College 
81 St. Mary Street, Toronto, ON M5S 1J4
Phone: 416-926-1300
Email: [email protected]