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Published: May 19, 2008
“Role model for USF students”
Jesuit university honors openly homosexual AIDS ambassador who promotes condom use
 Among those receiving honorary degrees at University of San Francisco commencement ceremonies this past weekend was Ambassador Mark Dybul, an open homosexual with a same-sex partner about whom he makes no secret. Dybul has served as U.S. Global AIDS coordinator under President George W. Bush.
At his swearing-in ceremony in October 2006, Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice welcomed Dybul’s family members, including his partner, Jason Claire, and Claire’s mother, whom Rice called Dybul’s “mother-in-law.”
Laura Bush was present at the swearing in, looking on while Dybul’s partner held the Bible on which Dybul placed his hand while taking the oath of office.
According to a USF press release, the university honored Dybul “for his work at the forefront of the international fight against HIV/AIDS as the U.S. global AIDS coordinator.” According to the release, “Dybul is a role model for USF students as someone with the knowledge and skills needed to succeed, and the values and sensitivity to be men and women for others.”
"Dr. Dybul's life and work reflect USF's core value of advancing a 'culture of service that respects and promotes the dignity of every person,'" says the citation awarded to him, according to the press release.
Jesuit-run USF is not the first Catholic organization to have recognized Dybul. In February, he was one of two recipients of the first Mother Teresa International Humanitarian Award. The event was organized by the United Nations Program on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) and the Catholic Bishops' Conference of India Health Commission. Cardinal Telesphore Toppo, a past president of the Indian Conference of Catholic bishops, presented the awards.
Dybul has been a defender of President Bush’s ABC HIV/AIDS prevention program, which has been criticized for its emphasis on abstinence. “ABC (Abstain, Be faithful, correct and consistent use of Condoms) is good public health, based on respect for local culture -- it is an African solution, developed in Africa, not in the U.S.,” Dybul said in an April 13, 2006 “Ask the State Department” Internet forum. ABC, he said, “provides comprehensive information so people can decide how to protect themselves.”
Posted Monday, May 19, 2008 9:22 AM By CJ
Sadly, few doubt will presently that the press release speaks the truth when it indicates that the University promotes this man "is a role model for USF students." Shame the White House also could not hire someone for the position who could act in deed as in word.
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Posted Monday, May 19, 2008 9:44 AM By Elizabeth
Apparently, Father Privett the President did not listen too closely to the Holy Father's talk a few weeks ago in Washington D.C.
We need graduation speakers who are an ALL around moral and ethical person.
Someone who the students will want to emulate and look up to.......
This person is NOT that person!!!!!!!
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Posted Monday, May 19, 2008 10:09 AM By Fr. M.P.
Another peg in the apostasy column. Keep praying. Isaiah 5:20 "Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who put darkness for light and light for darkness, who put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter!"
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Posted Monday, May 19, 2008 10:35 AM By Matt W
Congrats to USF for honoring a person dedicated to Christian ideals of service, respect and human dignity. Matthew 25:34-26 "Come, you that are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world; for I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you gave me clothing, I was sick and you took care of me, I was in prison and you visited me.”
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Posted Monday, May 19, 2008 12:34 PM By Jerry
Matt W,
If he does these things works of mercy then he coincides with charity. However, his chosen lifestyle is intrinsically uncharitable.
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Posted Monday, May 19, 2008 1:34 PM By CJ
To Matt W -
"Whatsoever you do to the least of my brothers." Do not forget that we ourselves are included as the "least" of Jesus' brothers. Thus what we do to ourselves has everlasting consequence. If we choose to destroy our very selves physically, emotionally, mentally, and spiritually (along with others) we will answer for that also. As pointed out by Jerry it is no charity to confirm sin in others or ourselves.
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Posted Monday, May 19, 2008 1:58 PM By Matt W
Interesting definition of charity; I thought it had to do with loving God and our neighbor... unconditionally. I wasn't aware that sexual ethics had any bearing on charity; perhaps I am simply mistaken.
BTW, with regard to Isaiah 5:20, it's helpful to put the verse in context. It comes at the end of a long litany of evils that will befall Judah because of the sins of their princes. They do not "Make justice your aim: redress the wronged, hear the orphan's plea, defend the widow." 1:17, "Each one of them loves a bribe and looks for gifts. The fatherless they defend not, and the widow's plea does not reach them." 1:23, "Because they are filled with fortunetellers and soothsayers, like the Philistines; they covenant with strangers. Their land is full of silver and gold, and there is no end to their treasures; Their land is full of horses, and there is no end to their chariots. Their land is full of idols; they worship the works of their hands, that which their fingers have made." 2:6-8, "The Lord enters into judgment with his people's elders and princes: It is you who have devoured the vineyard; the loot wrested from the poor is in your houses. What do you mean by crushing my people, and grinding down the poor when they look to you? says the Lord, the GOD of hosts." 3:14-15.
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Posted Monday, May 19, 2008 5:11 PM By Jerry
True love of another means hating the poisonous sin which infects him and may ultimately damn him. Helping a man be rid of sin is a higher act of charity than helping him be rid of physical maladies.
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Posted Monday, May 19, 2008 5:57 PM By Pax Christi
Matt, do you honestly think Christ would be impressed with the good deeds of homosexuals who do not keep his father's commandments? I am a faithful, orthodox married (a man to a woman, to make that clear) father who takes seriously the need to overcome sins of the flesh, and to repent for any offenses done. It's a shame others can't do the same. No wonder the smoke of satan in the church seems ever more underestimated. Don't tell me you have whited out this statement from Paul: Adulterers will not enter the kingdom of heaven. (1 Corinthians 6:9)
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Posted Monday, May 19, 2008 6:13 PM By Matt W
Interesting that that passage in Matthew (Jesus' words) doesn't say anything about "hating the poisonous sin which infects him.." You have to be pretty obtuse to interpret that passage as an exhortation to personal morality when it is literally specifying a concern for the alleviation of human suffering and promotion of human dignity (i.e. social justice) as the primary objective of Christ's followers. In fact, throughout his ministry, Christ always elevates concern for the physical needs of "our neighbors" as paramount, whether it was feeding the 5,000, healing the sick, exposing the hypocrisy of religious authority, praising the widow's mite, etc. There's a reason that "preferential option for the poor" is central to Catholic social doctrine. To the rich young man: "You follow the law and prophets? Good job, now all you have to do is sell everything you have and give it to the poor." I just don't read about Jesus spending significant time during his ministry preaching about sexual ethics; in fact, he hung out with prostitutes, unclean men, and tax collectors. It just seems ridiculous to expend sanctimony on someone's private sexual life when people are starving, children are dying of disease and malnutrition, wars are being fought, torture is sanctioned, and the world is being left a worse place for our children. (It's also interesting that you only care about helping men be rid of sin. Are women just lost?)
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Posted Monday, May 19, 2008 6:23 PM By Matt W
Pax, no, (though the list in the passage you quote also includes thieves, gossipers, drunkards, and the greedy.. funny how those never seem to be emphasized.) I just try to balance Paul's dualism and focus on purity ethics with the liberating message of Jesus. Do you white out Matthew 25:41-43? "Depart from me, you accursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. For I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me no drink, a stranger and you gave me no welcome, naked and you gave me no clothing, ill and in prison, and you did not care for me."
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Posted Monday, May 19, 2008 6:52 PM By Paul Lopez
Matt W. I don't think that anybody doubts you are an intelligent individual. You express your mind clearly and articulately. However you cannot, for all intents and purposes, tell me, that if Our Lord were here on earth today, and struck up a conversation with Mr. Dybul, let alone the USF President, and was to discuss with him his domestic arrangement, would he not tell him that he loves him, but also, that, A) he must repent and abandon his living arrangement and try to seek remedy of his same-sex attraction through groups that have been successful in changing people's attitude, and prayer of course?, or B) his present lifestlye is fine with him, and thus he should find no problem staying that way, and naturally, if there is nothing wrong, there's no need to repent of anything? Let's cut to the chase and get right down to the absolute truth of the matter. Homosexuality my friend, as is fornication and adultery, is a sin, either way you look at it. All require sacramental confession and a true purpose of ammendment. There is nothing ambiguous about this subject to The Most Blessed Trinity. The correct answer is A, and if you feel otherwise, I suggest you go to Mass, receive Our Lord if properly disposed, and pray a Novena to the Holy Spirit in Jesus' name. Then come back and tell us what you're views are. Prepare to be shocked. If God could change Saul from one moment to the next, he could very well simply do it to anyone and at any time his heart desires.
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Posted Monday, May 19, 2008 6:56 PM By Jerry
Sorry Matt W. I thought I was talking to a Catholic.
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Posted Monday, May 19, 2008 7:40 PM By Dan
" I just try to balance Paul's dualism and focus on purity ethics with the liberating message of Jesus."
Matt, putting Paul at odds with Jesus is a nice liberal protestant trick that now seems standard fare among Catholics who have little use for Paul. I think the "liberating message of Jesus" has taken a life of its own and had come to mean freedom from "purity ethics" or anything else which restricts one's self-fulfillment. Paul had one advantage over us -- he met Jesus on the Damascus road and was personally commissioned by our Lord Himself to be an apostle to the gentiles. If Paul was dualistic, he got it from Jesus himself -- the real Jesus, not the modern sanitized creation.
But more to the point, there are plenty of young men other than Mark Dybul representing the Church and its mission in the world. The choice of this one is a deliberate slap in the face of Benedict and the Magesterium.
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Posted Monday, May 19, 2008 8:50 PM By cjo
Chris...when you post these type of articles, how about including the address and telephone number and email adderss of the President of the University. Perhaps some readers may want to share a thought with him [or her] ???
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Posted Monday, May 19, 2008 8:53 PM By Matt W
1) "Homosexuality my friend, as is fornication and adultery, is a sin." This is untrue, even according to the catechism, which calls for respect and compassion for homosexuals and exhorts "[e]very sign of unjust discrimination in their regard should be avoided." (pp. 2358-9) The catechism requires celibacy of homosexuals, but does not deny their nature nor accord them diminished dignity. Keep in mind that the "intrinsically disordered" language is also applied to many other acts, including, for instance, masturbation, which is called "intrinsically and gravely disordered." 2) I note that none of my fellow commenters have addressed my primary thesis, which is that Jesus was more concerned about social justice than sexual ethics. The mission statement of this very website exhibits the same values espoused in Catholic Social Teaching: "holding up for all to see a body of moral truth based on human dignity and rights, the preferential option for the poor, the universal destination of goods, love of enemies, and unconditional respect for all human life from conception to natural death." (Click 'About Us' at the top of the page.) Read my posts carefully and you'll see that I've never suggested a descent into libertinism or even advocated release from the restraint of catechetical ethics; I've merely suggested that perhaps our priorities have become skewed. 3) To Jerry: I'm rubber and you're glue...
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Posted Monday, May 19, 2008 9:41 PM By John L. Sillasen
Jesus healed individuals afflicted with genetic problems, and disease, raised the dead to life, and cast out demons ... but He never made anyone change from sin to holiness. He did, however, let the world know what sin is and that each soul can choose to turn away from it. He even healed ten lepers and only one returned to thank Him. Homosexuality is not in the category of genetic affliction, or disease or demonic possession, but in the category of choice.
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Posted Monday, May 19, 2008 10:07 PM By Emma
Matt, you sound an awful lot like Aaron and Vincent. Seem to be related you speak so similar all the time. BTW I don't think your are supposed to pick and choose and interpret meanings for yoursel and actually come up with aunthentic teaching. Arguing about it is silly too. The Holy Father and those Bishops united to him are supposed to be our shepards. They'll tell us what things mean. We could all sit around deciding all day long what a thing means but they have the authority given to them by Christ himself to enlighten us. This way you won't need these polemics. Just listen and follow, thats how Jesus meant for it to be. The Church is the true arbitur of truth. Relax, listen, learn, follow. Don't stay away from the ligjht, it's so beautiful.
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Posted Monday, May 19, 2008 10:46 PM By Anne
Matt W., has it ever occurred to you that sexual sins have caused a lot of this poverty? I know a woman who was born nearly blind because her father had an affair when her mother was pregnant. He brought home a venereal disease that caused her near blindness when she was born. This is still happening in third world countries. Sure we should and do give medicine to those countries, but some need to change their behavior, or it never gets better. People in those countries need examples of good behavior. Christ always called for repentance on the part of the sinner, including the woman he saved from stoning. He told her, "Go and sin no more lest something worse happen to you." In other words, he was telling her that he would not be there to bail her out next time. God can and does give up on us after awhile if we do not straighten out. The Bible clearly teaches that. Didn't Zachias repent after Christ talked to him? Didn't he give back the money he stole and then some. Sodomy destroys the body if it is kept up because that part of the body is not made for that kind of activity. As Surgeon General Koop said many years ago, it causes tears, infections. tumors. Some homosexuals, and other, get a of cancer of the mouth (from a type of herpes).This man was not a good example to those people if he was engaging in that type of activity. And by the way Archbishop Fulton Sheen taught that there is no such thing as unconditional love taught in the Bible as it is referred today. Yesterday I watched a tape he made on alcoholism where he said that. My suggestion to you is follow Fr. M.P.'s advice.
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Posted Monday, May 19, 2008 11:15 PM By Paul Lopez
Matt, I stand corrected. What I meant to say is that homosexual ACTS are sinful, not homosexuality itself. Thank you for pointing it out. Also, I agree that in Our Lord's day and age, social justice was a more viable option to trump over the concern for sexual ethics. The problem here is that both you and I live in the generation, at this time, and with all sorts of "sexual problems" that are having a far wider impact on society at large than during the time of Our Lords' existence on earth 2000+ years ago. Maybe Blessed Jacinta's warning that "more souls go to hell for sins of the flesh than for any other reason" could have been attributed to that time, but it most certainly is a more appropriately accurate description of the sex-craved society which we find ourselves in today. Remember, Our Lord did say, when the "unclean" woman poured expensive oil on his feet and wiped them with her hair, "the poor you will always have with you...." We however know that he did not say, "abortion, homosexual acts, pornography, etc., you will always have with you," because that was not the case and/or prevalent on a large scale then.
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Posted Monday, May 19, 2008 11:18 PM By Matt W
Hi Emma, thanks for your comments. I'll assume you're not being facetious. I think I'll have to disagree on this one. I think that the Church is a human institution and is as subject to error as individual humans are. I respect the spiritual leadership of the Church authorities, but I don't blindly trust them. The Church has a too-long record of historical blunders to merely "listen and follow": from the torture, murder and dispossesion of Jews and Protestants during the Inquisition to its support of slavery in the antebellum American South to the recent ignoring of parishoner complaints and turning a blind eye to priests' sexual abuse of children. My point isn't that the Church authorities are evil and corrupt, but that they are clearly fallible human beings. Note also that in every post I've made, I have supported my points with reference to the Bible and the Catechism. What makes me sad is that here we have a global Catholic Church with about 1.1 billion members world-wide. Its scope encompasses over 2,000 years of theology, tradition, ritual, ecstasy, mystery, art, etc etc, reaching into nearly every facet of human existence. The Church is a vastly large, quite heterogenous, historically ancient edifice with enormous richness, diversity, and beauty. The Church itself is a fitting and powerful tribute to Our Savior. However, it seems that a select few people want to excise most of that in favor of an Orthodoxy defined solely by a very limited set of sexual strictures, and then close the door on everything (and everyone) else. Why can't Catholic be catholic? What happened to God's all-consuming embrace? What happened to the unconditional love and radical justice of Jesus? What happened to the energizing and revolutionary fire of the Holy Spirit?
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Posted Monday, May 19, 2008 11:44 PM By Pax Christi
Leave it to Matt to transform the ageless "Jesus died for our sins" to "Jesus died for social action." A page from Satan's playbook that seeks to turn good into evil and evil into good, perhaps?
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Posted Tuesday, May 20, 2008 5:38 AM By Fr. M.P.
Matt W, Jesus established the teaching authority of His Church, the One Holy Catholic and Apostolic Church, using fallible men. But in faith and morals, the Church does not teach errors. Read Mysterium Ecclesiae for an explanation [http://www.saint-mike.org/library/Curia/Congregations/Faith/Mysterium_Ecclesiae.html]
And don't forget that Jesus said that you must follow His Commandments to love Him, not pick what you feel like. That means sex as He defined it - between one man and one woman in a valid marriage always open to life. No exceptions.
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Posted Tuesday, May 20, 2008 8:41 AM By Janek
Why are people always "shocked" when some story like this comes out of the bay area and being the Jesuits?? Don't waste your time and energy with this garbage or the so called Archbishop of San Francisco instead pray for the return of the TLM and support our Holy Father and his efforts to restore the liturgy and traditions of Holy Mother Church, also pray for the Holy Bishops such as Bruskewitz, Burke, Finn, Chaput these are truly good men that teach the Roman Catholic faith and uphold it. Deo Gratias Benedictus XVI.
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Posted Tuesday, May 20, 2008 9:05 AM By Matt W
I see Godwin's Law has decided to assert its presence (Pax, you don't fool around with Hitler; you go straight to Satan.) Does this mean I've exhausted your supply of reasoned civility, so that you have to resort to putting words in my mouth and then "satanizing" me for them?
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Posted Tuesday, May 20, 2008 10:03 AM By Anne
Fr. M.P and other orthodox Catholics., Matt and some of the others are like the blind leading the blind. Sad to say that most of them will fall "into the ditch" as the Lord put it. And oh! how they can twist Holy Scripture and the Cathechism to suit their means. May the Lord Jesus take the scales from their eyes before it is too, too late for them.
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Posted Tuesday, May 20, 2008 10:48 AM By Anne
Fellow Catholics, I need to tell you what happened eventually to the man who brought home the venereal disease to his pregnant wife, which caused his daughter's near blindness. He was in an accident in a car he was driving under the influence of alcohol. He lost one of his arms in the car wreck. He finally straighten out as far as I know, but too late for his daughter and also almost too late for himself. She finally had a transplant on her eyes, but now she needs surgury again in her eighties. That is a true story, and, sad to say there are many more like it.
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Posted Tuesday, May 20, 2008 11:21 AM By Matt W
Alright you Defenders of Orthodoxy, you done chased me off. I can't fit inside your tiny tent anyway (too many cheeseburgers I guess.) Fr MP, thanks for the link to Mysterium Ecclesaie: interesting reading. Anne, what a fabulous non-sequitor. Pax, you can put away the rites of exorcism; I'm leaving. I know y'all can't help pouring holy water on the Fire of the Spirit. It's funny to find out that Catholic just isn't Catholic enough. Ta ta!
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Posted Tuesday, May 20, 2008 12:01 PM By Pax Christi
Well said, Fr. M.P. and Anne. And may I add that while Christ indeed (in oh-so-cool parlance) "hung out" with the sinners, could there be some other reason for that rather than affirming them in their sins -- perhaps like trying to get them to repent and change their ways? After all, did he not tell the crippled man lowered from the roof that his sins are forgiven rather than immediately curing him? And what about the Great Commission that was told at the end of Luke, particularly verse 47: "And that penance and remission of sins should be preached in his name, unto all nations, beginning at Jerusalem."
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Posted Tuesday, May 20, 2008 2:58 PM By Paul Lopez
Matt, it's not that we want to "chase me off," as you say, it is that we simply want you to understand that a living in a homosexual lifestyle, committing unnatural, sexual acts are NOT the will of the Lord. It is incompatible with the natural law and HIS laws. All we hope for is that you swallow your intellectual pride and humbly admit to this fact. Please re-read the first post I gave you above. There is nothing uncharitable about such advice. Ask for Blessed Josefa Menedez's intercession, that is if you believe in such "orthodox" and traditional practices. She is very powerful with God. Trust in her intercession and she will lead you to acknowledge and love the message of truth regarding this subject. Try it, you have nothing to lose. Your brother in Christ, Paul.
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Posted Tuesday, May 20, 2008 3:37 PM By Emma
Matt the spirit must always be tested as I am sure you already know from the catechism. Holy water doesn't quench the fire of the Holy Spirit only the fire of anti-spirit. We all struggle but in matters of faith and morals the church cannot and has not erred.
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Posted Tuesday, May 20, 2008 5:15 PM By Anne
Matt, I did not want to chase you off either. I admire the fact that you are living chastely. I just wanted you to know that because the gentlemen in this article seemed not to be doing so, that he did not set a good example to you or anyone else, and that I felt you should not be defending him. God Bless you.
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Posted Tuesday, May 20, 2008 5:38 PM By Anne
Also, my husband has cancer. It is under control, and he is doing well. So we all end up be celibate at some time in our lives.
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Posted Tuesday, May 20, 2008 7:16 PM By Grisha
Anne ~ I'll pray the to the Lord that he continues to bless you and your husband with the remission of his cancer.
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Posted Tuesday, May 20, 2008 11:05 PM By Anne
Thank you, Grisha, and please excuse my typo in my last post. I meant to write "we all end up being celibate at some time in our lives". I just wanted Matt to know that I would not ask him to do what I would not do myself.
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Posted Wednesday, May 21, 2008 10:05 PM By Gabriel
Those Jesuits...at it again! Defying God in deference to man. The order should be suppressed for in spite of many holy priests, there are just too many of them leading souls to hell.
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Posted Thursday, May 22, 2008 10:30 AM By jayptee1
Anybody defending Dybul betrays their concern for issues other than sin. Dybul wants to eradicate AIDS, but not at the expense of eradicating homosexualism. It's more important to him to eradicate physical sickness rather than spiritual sickness. He just refuses to accept that certain behaviors are contrary to the natural law, and as a result have natural negative consequences. He wants it his way, and to hell with anybody who says otherwise, including the Church founded by Christ. He is certainly rolling the dice on his own salvation, but the trouble with USF is that it is complicit in the ruin of other souls who buy the delusion of this guy.
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Posted Thursday, May 22, 2008 11:40 AM By The other Mike
As jayptee1 says, "Dybul wants to eradicate AIDS, but not at the expense of eradicating homosexualism." It's actually worse than that. Dybul portrays homosexuals as victims who must be given dignity; heros who must be protected; and AIDS, not perversion, as the enemy. Does Dybul practice ABC? Maybe the C, but not the A and the B. Some "role model".
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Posted Friday, June 06, 2008 8:37 PM By Septmach
Ambassador Dybul, through his leadership of the PEPFAR program, is treating millions of desperately sick, poor people; is caring for thousands of orphans; is helping hundreds of thousands of women avoid transmitting AIDS to their babies; and is promoting an ABC prevention strategy that helps young women avoid exploitation at the hands of older and more powerful men (including teachers and -- yes -- priests in some cases). It is inconceivable that, if Our Lord Jesus were on earth (per Paul Lopez's message above), all he would want to discuss with Mark Dybul is his choice of sexual partner. As Matt W makes clear, there is nothing in the Gospels that even remotely hints that this would be the priority of Our Lord Jesus. Congratulations to USF for recognizing Mark Dybul's faithful leadership through awarding this honorary degree.
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