NO, Bishop, DEI Does NOT Mean God, by John M. Grondelski

By John M. Grondelski, First Things, September 16, 2025

According to Washington auxiliary bishop Roy Campbell, Catholics should stand up for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion—DEI—because DEI also means “God” (as in, Dei).

That insulting association of the Divine Name with a divisive political social policy appeared in an essay the USCCB accidentally published on its website in recent days. It has since been taken down. According to The Pillar, the USCCB has not yet officially sanctioned the essay. It “is a draft of a personal reflection from Bishop Campbell that is yet to be discussed and given to a definitive publication plan,” spokesperson Chieko Noguchi said. The essence of the essay was more or less contained in the same bishop’s homily during 2025 Black History Month. That homily occurred within a month of Donald Trump’s inauguration, an administration the bishop accused of “want[ing] to erase Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion from the American conscience.”

There are two big problems with the essay. ….