Summer 2019 Catholic Teaching on the Human Person and Gender Dysphoria Author's Note: This analysis is provided in my individual capacity as an ethicist. Full text of Bishop Paul Coakley's pastoral letter on gender dysphoria They had high rates of unresolved childhood trauma and loss. OKLAHOMA CITY (OSV News) A Catholic response to those experiencing gender dysphoria "must both affirm God-given sex and recognize the struggle of the person in front of us," Archbishop Paul S. Coakley of Oklahoma City said in a new pastoral letter. A strong desire to be rid of one's primary and/or secondary sex characteristics because of a marked incongruence with one's experienced/expressed gender (or in young adolescents, a desire to prevent the development of the anticipated secondary sex characteristics). "36 At the same time, a recent study has found that "generally SRS [Sex Reassignment Surgery] may reduce psychological morbidity for some individuals while increasing it for others. When we treat a pathophysiological condition that affects primary sex characteristics, we intend treatment of the condition. Like many internal afflictions, gender dysphoria can also induce physical symptoms. A Catholic response to gender dysphoria September 14, 2022 wpmessage By DR. BILL BLANKE CATHOLIC HEALTHCARE When asked how many babies I have delivered in my career, I say "None!" But I have helped about 2,000 women deliver babies. Permission granted to CHA-member organizations and Saint Louis University to copy and distribute for educational purposes. The erroneous assumption in play here is that the integral role of sexual identity for the body/soul unity of the individual human person is fully and equally present in all sex characteristics.63 It is only the primary sex characteristics that are the sufficient condition for the individuation of the body/soul unity in the creation of particular person as female or male. "32 The suffering of transgender persons can also be caused by social stigma. Catholic teaching on the creation of the human person as a unity of body and soul and the place of sexual identity in this unity is the first critical factor for evaluating the question of caring for and treating persons with gender dysphoria. In Catholic teaching, God creates the individual human person as a composite unity of body and soul: The unity of soul and body is so profound that one has to consider the soul to be the "form" of the body: i.e., it is because of its spiritual soul that the body made of matter becomes a living, human body; spirit and matter, in man, are not two natures united, but rather their union forms a single nature.2. A Catholic response to gender ideology - Bismarck Diocese A Catholic response to those experiencing gender dysphoria "must both affirm God-given sex and recognize the struggle of the person in front of us," Archbishop Paul S. Coakley of Oklahoma City said in a new pastoral letter. What if clinical indications, e.g., a reproductive organ with a pathophysiological condition, coincide with the patient's desire for gender transition? Proportionality is also key to this argument. "38 The World Professional Association for Transgender Health makes the general observation that "while many transsexual, transgender, and gender nonconforming individuals find comfort with their gender identity, role, and expression without surgery, for many others surgery is essential and medically necessary to alleviate their gender dysphoria. The second is that an individual's act of being in the body/soul unity is as male or female. Diocese issues guidance on gender dysphoria, calling for compassion and May 4, 2023 Share on Twitter A Catholic response to those experiencing gender dysphoria "must both affirm God-given sex and recognize the struggle of the person in front of us," Archbishop. The fact that there is a real distinction between body and soul, or a distinction among the powers of the soul itself, does not mean that the individual human being does not exist as a unified whole. In response, it could be argued that in Catholic teaching the soul-as-form and the body-as-matter are principles of being that at the moment of creation unify in an individual's act of existence as either female or male. These kinds of actions do not establish the specific conditions with an intrinsic relation that makes possible the performance of removing sex characteristics integral to the individuation of a particular person as male or female, nor are they essential. When approaching the issue of caring for persons with gender dysphoria in Catholic health care we do well to apply the teaching of Pope Francis. These flaws are based on misconstruing the distinction between historical interpretation of the principle and the intelligibility of the principle itself. To exist at all, the human creature must be unified, body and soul.3Moreover, the "living, human body" of a person, which is made possible by the body/soul unity, is necessarily female or male. Similarly, just as the respectful treatment of gay individuals within Catholic institutions is not a cause of theological scandal regarding Catholic teaching on human sexuality, so too it is not necessarily a legitimate cause of scandal that Catholic health care provides treatment for gender dysphoria simply because there is a gender ideology whose tenets are contrary to Catholic teaching. St. Louis, MO 63134 Boquet addresses these events and offers advice on charitably approaching people who struggle with gender dysphoria. Conversation: How should Catholics think about gender identity and "7, It is important to point out that while an individual's act of being is as male or female, this does not entail that the soul, per se, is sexed. As for interventions affecting the secondary sex characteristics, there would be no immediate material cooperation because what are essential circumstances from the patient's perspective for gender transition are from the institution's perspective essential only for relieving the suffering of gender dysphoria. But that's starting. As a result of this problem, there is a risk that the principle of cooperation in general will be misconstrued as the prohibition of any association with wrongdoing. Moreover, transferring a patient to a specialty center for the treatment of gender dysphoria does not of itself contain the specificity to establish an intention or approval by an institution of an attempt to change sexual identity. I am not claiming that this conclusion and its argument are a part of Catholic teaching, but only that this analysis is consistent with Catholic teaching. Providence St. Joseph Health BROOMALL, Pa., March 20, 2023The ethicists of The National Catholic Bioethics Center (NCBC) join the US bishops in unequivocally reiterating that Catholic anthropology and moral teaching are incompatible with medicalized mutilations that hide behind the misnomer of "gender-affirming care." This guidance is contained in the Doctrinal Note on the Moral Limits to Technological Manipulation . This constitutes a whole only in regard to act and finality.52. The study observed that "the incongruence between gender identity and social life and/or bodily characteristics experienced by individuals diagnosed with gender identity disorder can cause much distress that may lead to affective and anxiety problems and even disorders. It is only through the duality of the 'masculine' and the 'feminine' that the 'human' finds full realization. Senior Vice President, Theology and Ethics The Congregation for Catholic Education, in its "Male and Female He Created Them" Towards A Path of Dialogue on the Question of Gender Theory in Education, draws on the work of St. John Paul II, and makes a distinction that is helpful here. The condition is associated with clinically significant distress or impairment in social, occupational, or other important areas of functioning. . For reprint permission, contact Betty Crosby or call (314)253-3490. Ships from and sold by Amazon.com. Moreover, there is a real possibility that some might dismiss any attempt to justify care and treatment of persons with gender dysphoria within the parameters of Catholic teaching on the grounds that such patients may support this ideology and be a cause of theological scandal. The Catechism elaborates on this biblical teaching in many places, including #2332. The reality of government mandates affecting coverage for interventions involving the primary sex characteristics solely and only for treatment of gender dysphoria is a significant factor for evaluating the ethics of this coverage within Catholic organizations. And Virginia Bishop Michael Burbidge's. Another potential objection might be that the act of existence of a person as a body/soul unity should not be determinative of what is essential to who the person is, but rather that the human person is relational. "30 This suggests the need for better access to psychiatric and psychological care for many individuals. . Pius used the term "organism" to mean an integrated whole of parts, whether that whole is material, immaterial, or a composite of the two. The fact that the distress of gender dysphoria is about a physical object and is not the physical object itself does not disqualify the reality of the distress as a legitimate part of the whole of the person as a body/soul unity. Insofar as Pius' use of the terms "organism," "physical organism," "whole organism," "total organism," and "body" includes the immaterial dimension of the human person, his understanding and application of the principle of totality ought not to be interpreted exclusively in terms of material integrity or physical part-whole relations of the human person.56 There may be reasons why medical intervention is not justified for gender dysphoria, such as when the intervention directly violates some essential aspect of human nature or a person's existence, but a reason based on a physicalist interpretation of totality is not one of them. For instance, is the church's teaching on the role of sexual identity in the creation of the human person question-begging insofar as it assumes that sexual identity is determined by, or is reducible to, one's physical sex characteristics at birth? Catholic Teaching on the Human Person and Gender Dysphoria A must read for those interested in a in depth review into this complex and controversial subject. If there is any cooperation at all, it would be remote, mediate, material cooperation for a justified reason. The involvement of third party administrators is also an important factor in reducing the risk of illicit cooperation. Foreseeing that the institution's actions will coincide with the patient's intention for gender transition in both cases does not undermine the moral legitimacy of the interventions. To assert this is to assume that gender identity is determined by each individual's sense and that God does not create each individual as female or male independent of an individual's sense. Catholic scholar addresses 'gender ideology' and transgender issues The second day of the conference offered a full day of speakersboth local and from across the U.S. Even Jones' recognition of the possible ethical justification of "minor medical procedures" for gender dysphoria that do not destroy "biological function" is not grounded in an ontological distinction.57 However, recognition of this distinction makes a critical difference to the proportionality of goods and evils weighed by the principle, as has been shown. Here is a sampling of how he used these terms: The physical organism of the "the man" is one complete whole in its being. In an address to the Italian Medical-Biological Union of St. Luke, Pius pointed out that while the work of physicians directly affects "the body with its members and organs, [this work] will nevertheless concern too the soul and its faculties" due to the "compenetration of matter by spirit in the perfect unity of the human composite."55. . "66 Not all listening, reasoning, and proposing on the question of treating gender dysphoria is ipso facto condoning or promoting gender ideology. Indeed, a number of studies have suggested that gender dysphoria is an independent risk factor for suicidality and that lifetime suicide attempts may be as high as 46% among trans men 42% among trans women.31 A study by Gunter Heylens and his colleagues found that the rate of affective and anxiety disorders was higher among persons with gender dysphoria than the general population. One such view argues that any surgical or hormonal intervention on any sex characteristicprimary or secondaryto treat gender dysphoria is to deny God's act of creating the body/soul unity of the human person, and "perpetuates the lie" that sexual identity can be changed. New pastoral letter addresses gender dysphoria - Catholic Courier Serving LGBT Students in Catholic Schools - Catholic Education Resource But what if it is not sufficient to determine sexual identity in this way? This anthropology is based on God's plan in the creation of man and woman which, as St. John Paul II states, "is a plan that 'from the beginning' has been indelibly imprinted in the very being of the human person -men and women- and, therefore, in the make-up, meaning and deepest workings of the individual. Coakley: Catholic response to gender dysphoria must 'affirm one's God I will argue below that the ontological significance of the distinction between the primary and secondary sex characteristics means that there is a corresponding significant moral difference between directly affecting the primary sex characteristics and directly affecting the secondary sex characteristics for the purpose of treating gender dysphoria. Any sterilizing effect on the primary sex characteristics would be foreseen but unintended.43 Moreover, the sex hormones affected in hormonal therapy for gender dysphoria considered in themselves are neither primary nor secondary sex characteristics. A recent article by David Albert Jones reviews the history of Catholic teaching and theological opinion on the principle of totality and its use to justify treatment of gender dysphoria.45 His review focuses on Catholic teaching and theological opinion from the 1940s to the present. In the Catholic view, being a man or a woman is personal reality meaning it refers to the totality of the person. Peter.cataldo@providence.org. Thus, the claim of their integral status is not disproved, for example, simply because individuals can have the atypical conditions of intersex, or because the primary sex characteristics can be removed, or because a person may be sterile by accident of nature.24. "Painful." "Not being able to feel at home in . A 2021 Australian study, for example, found that 88 percent of children and adolescents seeking clinical treatment for gender dysphoria (psychological distress over a perceived identity-body mismatch) suffered from other mental health conditions such as anxiety and depression. "40 Consistent with the principle of totality, the loss or alteration of secondary sex characteristics through hormonal or surgical treatment may be justified for the good of the whole person for the following reasons: (1) the presence of secondary sex characteristics may, in a given case, represent a serious harm to the well-being of the patient; (2) the intervention can be effective for the patient; and (3) the good of restoring well-being and avoiding grave harm is proportionate to the loss.41, Evidence for the first two conditions has been indicated. All Rights Reserved. For recognition of the potential sterilizing effects of hormone therapy see Hembree et al, "Endocrine Treatment of Gender-Dysphoric/Gender-Incongruent Persons: An Endocrine Society Clinical Practice Guideline," 38693903. As the principle by which a human person exists, the soul by itself does not have the individual materiality of a person's sex. They are so absorbed by the whole that they possess no independence. A crisis of conscience for Oregon Catholics: Steve Duin column Program Focuses on Catholic Response to Same-Sex Attractions and Gender Rather, since the human being is defined as relationality to others, sexual identity ought to be determined as a relational reality. I'm a Catholic of the Diocese of Arlington, and on Friday Bishop Michael Burbidge called our attention to a new statement issued by the Diocese, entitled " A Catechesis on the Human Person . Rather, the order of nature, through empirical and metaphysical methods, may be understood as encompassing both the "order of biology" and the "order of existence" comprehended in its ontological dimension and its relationship to God the Creator.14. A must read for those interested in a in depth review into this complex and controversial subject. This view assumes the very thing in need of proof. Therefore, this suffering is a legitimate factor in the application of the principle to determine whether a physical part may be sacrificed or altered to heal the part that is threatening the whole. Archbishop Coakley: Respond with love to those with gender dysphoria This is followed by an overview of gender dysphoria, the suffering associated with it, and the possibility of ameliorating this suffering through treatment. Pope Pius XII described and applied the principle of totality with an understanding of human integrity as encompassing both physical and psychic integrity. The Congregation for Catholic Education (CCE) in its, For a sampling of Thomas Aquinas' view of the principle of individuation see, See Kevin Fitzgerald, S.J., "Viewing the Transgender Issue from Catholic and Personalized Health care Perspectives,", For a definition of these conditions see I. "37 The Sweden cohort study concluded that "surgery and hormonal therapy alleviates gender dysphoria" but that these therapies are "apparently not sufficient to remedy the high rates of morbidity and mortality found among transsexual persons." While the ontological individuation of the individual person as female or male cannot be changed by removing sex characteristics that are integral to an individual's unity, to remove them strictly for the purpose of treating gender dysphoria is directly to prevent the functionality of this integral component precisely as it represents the individuation of the person as male or female. They are causes of primary and secondary sex characteristics, but as causes, and because they are found in both males and females (their different levels in each sex notwithstanding), they do not qualify as sex characteristics per se.44 For these reasons, hormonal treatment for gender dysphoria is not deliberately directed at eliminating a primary sex characteristic that is integral to the creation of the person as female or male. These interventions can be accomplished without being directed toward eliminating primary sex characteristics that are integral to who the person is as a created being.41. Consistent with this view of Pius' application of the principle of totality is the fact that he used the term "organism" in three different senses, only one of which is limited to the physical. It is important to understand that delineating the ontological significance of the primary and secondary sex characteristics for the creation of the human person as female or male, and identifying the primary sex characteristics as ontologically integral to God's creative act, does not reduce human sexuality to the reproductive organs and is consistent with the totality of sexuality as being inclusive of its biological, spiritual, emotional, and psychological dimensions. Catholic teaching does not make an absolute distinction between physical sex and sense of gender as is the case in many other-than-Catholic sectors.1 Even though there is no authoritative teaching on the specific question of providing treatment and care for persons with gender dysphoria, the teaching on the nature of sexual identity within the body/soul unity of the individual human person is directly relevant. Get it as soon as Thursday, Jun 15. That God creates the individual human person as either male or female qua ontological reality is not incompatible with that same individual having a different sense of gender qua biological, psychological, or social factors nor with the fact that perhaps only five to ten percent of people fall between the two typical phenotypic boundaries of male and female. For Jones and his most of his sources, the part-whole relationship specified by the principle is conceptualized strictly as a relationship of organic part to physical whole.46 In this understanding of the principle, integrity is reduced to physical integrity that can be justifiably preserved through the sacrifice of physical parts. Pope Pius XII expressed the principle in this way: "It declares that the part exists for the whole, and that, consequently, the good of the part remains subordinated to the good of the whole: that the whole is that which determines the part and can dispose of it in its own interest. Thus, even though biologically there may be slight or great variation among the primary sex characteristics of individuals, these characteristics are still ontologically integral to God's creative act of individual persons as female and male, not in their potency for difference among individuals but in the way they delimit the kind of being into which an individual is created. David Albert Jones, "Gender Reassignment Surgery: A Catholic Bioethical Analysis," 331. The experience of anxiety or unhappiness associated with this conviction is referred to as gender dysphoria. This item: Transgender Ideology & Gender Dysphoria: A Catholic Response (Understanding Transgender) $21.99 $ 21. . It is only this individual qua individuation of human nature that is properly described as sexed (that is, the particular body/spirit unity that is this person).8, Sex is not part of the definition of human essence, but being created as male or female is an inseparable accident of the individual existence of a person as a human substance.9, It is also important to address potential difficulties regarding the teaching on the creation of the human person as male or female. "A Catholic response must both affirm God-given sex and recognize the struggle of the person in front of us. Foreseeing the intent of the patient does not of itself mean that the Catholic institution shares that intention or approves gender transition. What they do is offer compassionate and respectful care directed at the suffering of these patients. Although these two cases are different in that treatment for a racist patient would have no direct relation to racism itself, to refuse care to such a patient based on a perceived connection to ideology would be the same in both cases. The intrinsic relationship between being-female and being-male, the complementarity of the sexes, and the relationality of human persons is emphasized in Male and Female He Created Them: Towards A Path of Dialogue on the Question of Gender Theory in Education: "The self is completed by the one who is other than the self, according to the specific identity of each person, and both have a point of encounter forming a dynamic of reciprocity which is derived from and sustained by the Creator. How Christians Can Respond to Gender Dysphoria - Lifeway Research However, he also states that it "is true that we cannot separate the masculine and the feminine from God's work of creation, which is prior to all our decisions and experiences," including those experiences that he characterizes as "understandable difficulties," "human weakness," and the "complexities of life. For reprint permission, contact, For Those Who Work in Catholic Health Care, Catholic Teaching on the Human Person and Gender Dysphoria, http://www.vatican.va/archive/ENG0015/__P1B.HTM, http://www.vatican.va/archive/hist_councils/ii_vatican_council/documents/vat-ii_const_19651207_gaudium-et-spes_en.html, http://www.vatican.va/archive/hist_councils/i-vatican-council/documents/vat-i_const_18700424_dei-filius_la.html, http://w2.vatican.va/content/john-paul-ii/en/apost_exhortations/documents/hf_jp-ii_exh_30121988_christifideles-laici.html, http://w2.vatican.va/content/john-paul-ii/en/apost_letters/1988/documents/hf_jp-ii_apl_19880815_mulieris-dignitatem.html, https://sourcebooks.fordham.edu/basis/aquinas-esse.asp, http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(12)60071-3, https://www.merckmanuals.com/professional/pediatrics/congenital-neurologic-anomalies/anencephaly, http://w2.vatican.va/content/john-paul-ii/en/letters/1995/documents/hf_jp-ii_let_29061995_women.html, http://w2.vatican.va/content/john-paul-ii/en/apost_letters/1997/documents/hf_jp-ii_apl_15081997_laetamur.html, http://genderedinnovations.stanford.edu/terms/sex.html, https://doi.org/10.3109/09540261.2015.1073143, https://doi.org/10.3109/09540261.2015.1115753, https://doi.org/10.1192/bjp.bp.112.121954, https://doi.org/10.1080/0092623X.2017.1326190, https://doi.org/10.3109/08039488.2015.1081405, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jsxm.2018.01.016, https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0016885, https://www.merckmanuals.com/professional/genitourinary-disorders/male-reproductive-endocrinology-and-related-disorders/male-reproductive-endocrinology, https://www.merckmanuals.com/professional/gynecology-and-obstetrics/female-reproductive-endocrinology/female-reproductive-endocrinology, http://w2.vatican.va/content/francesco/en/apost_exhortations/documents/papa-francesco_esortazione-ap_20160319_amoris-laetitia.html.

Baja Bob's Original Margarita Mix, Cornerstone Church Carbondale, Articles C