U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin of Illinois is asking Pope Francis to rein in an antigay Cardinal who has targeted the out U.S. ambassador to the Dominican Republic.

Cardinal Nicolas de Jesus Lopez Rodriguez went so far recently as to denounce Ambassador Wally Brewster to reporters, using a slur and saying he should “focus on housework, since he’s the wife to a man,” rather than get involved in his country’s politics. 

According to Durbin’s letter to Pope Francis, the cardinal has even organized church-sponsored public protests against Brewster, who hails from Illinois and whom Durbin calls a personal friend.

The Illinois Democrat makes it clear in his letter that Brewster is legally married according to the laws of the United States.

Durbin, who is Roman Catholic, also wrote that he accepts the challenge the pope made in his historic address to a joint session of Congress, to “defend and preserve the dignity” of all people, and appealed to Francis to step in, despite church policy against marriage equality. 

“The Church’s teachings on gay marriage are well known but the Church also teaches us to show tolerance for those with different sexual orientations. The intolerant public statements of Cardinal Rodriguez are inconsistent with that clearly stated value.”

Read the full letter from Sen. Dick Durbin here.