In a controversial move toward inclusiveness, the Vatican has offered a new perspective on the place of transgender individuals within the Catholic Church, significantly diverging from the stance traditionally held by U.S. Catholic bishops.
This development was introduced by the Vatican in a document publicized on Wednesday, asserting that under particular conditions, transgender Catholics are to be permitted participation in sacraments such as baptism and to undertake the role of godparents.
The guidance comes amidst a backdrop of contradicting sentiments from various Catholic echelons in the United States, where the national conference of Catholic bishops stands opposed to gender transition.
This has been a source of alienation for many transgender Catholics. Contrarily, the document, dated October 21 and bearing the signatures of Pope Francis and Cardinal Víctor Manuel Fernández, represents a potential paradigm shift in the church’s approach to LGBTQ issues.
Francis DeBernardo, at the helm of New Ways Ministry, a Maryland organization championing LGBTQ acceptance within the church, hails this as “a major step for trans inclusion.”
The Vatican’s new guidance, which was shared on the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith’s website, stipulates that transgender individuals can receive baptism “if there are no situations in which there is a risk of generating public scandal or confusion among the faithful”.
Furthermore, the document details that transgender adults are eligible to serve as godfathers or godmothers, even if they have undergone gender-transition surgery, subject to certain caveats. Specifically, “pastoral prudence demands that it should not be allowed if there is a danger of scandal, undue legitimization, or confusion in the educational sphere of the ecclesial community.”
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This appears to be a marked departure from a 2015 decision by the Vatican, which precluded a trans man in Spain from becoming a godparent.
Pope Francis’s tenure has been marked by gestures towards a more inclusive church for LGBTQ individuals, despite the church’s doctrines on same-sex marriage and sexual activities remaining unchanged.
In the U.S., while some parishes have created LGBTQ support groups and have embraced transgender individuals, other dioceses have enforced restrictive guidelines that more closely follow biblical doctrine which does not acknowledge gender identity beyond male and female.
The Rev. James Martin, a Jesuit priest and long-time advocate for LGBTQ inclusion, praised the Vatican’s statement.
“In many dioceses and parishes, including in the US, transgender Catholics have been severely restricted from participating in the life of the church, not because of any canon law, but stemming from the decisions of bishops, priests and pastoral associates,” he said in an email.
“So the Vatican’s statement is a clear recognition not only of their personhood, but of their place in their own church,” he continued. “I hope that it helps the Catholic church treat them less as problems and more as people.”
The document is a response to an inquiry by a Brazilian bishop regarding the participation of LGBTQ individuals in church sacraments like baptisms and weddings.
DeBernardo suggested the document “proves that the Catholic Church can — and does — change its mind about certain practices and policies.” While he expressed disappointment over the continued prohibition on same-sex couples serving as godparents, he suggests that this document may necessitate the retraction of some diocesan policies against transgender individuals.
It’s a whole new world in the Catholic church.
