The Vatican on Monday issued a declaration titled “Infinite Dignity,” categorizing gender affirming surgery and surrogacy alongside abortion and euthanasia as grave violations of God’s plan for human life. The 20-page document, in the works for five years, was approved by Pope Francis and emphasizes the rejection of “gender theory.”
According to the Vatican, attempts to change one’s gender are deemed contrary to God’s design. It said God created man and woman as biologically different, separate beings, and said they must not tinker with that plan or try to “make oneself God.”
“It follows that any sex-change intervention, as a rule, risks threatening the unique dignity the person has received from the moment of conception,” the document said.
However, the document acknowledges the distinction between gender affirming surgeries and “genital abnormalities” present at birth or later in life, saying that those abnormalities can be “resolved” by health care professionals.
The existence of the document, which has been speculated about since 2019, was verified in recent weeks by Argentine Cardinal Víctor Manuel Fernández, the new prefect of the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith and a close friend of Pope Francis.
Along with rejecting gender theory, the document also criticizes countries that prohibit homosexuality, many of which are in Africa. It confirmed Francis’ statement that “being homosexual is not a crime,” which he made in a 2023 interview. As a result, the statement is now considered canonical doctrine at the Vatican.
The new document denounces “as contrary to human dignity the fact that, in some places, not a few people are imprisoned, tortured, and even deprived of the good of life solely because of their sexual orientation.”
The document further denounces surrogacy, asserting it violates the dignity of both the surrogate mother and the child. It echoes the Catholic Church’s opposition to abortion and euthanasia while addressing contemporary concerns such as poverty, war, and human trafficking.
“The child has the right to have a fully human (and not artificially induced) origin and to receive the gift of a life that manifests both the dignity of the giver and that of the receiver,” the document said. “Considering this, the legitimate desire to have a child cannot be transformed into a ‘right to a child’ that fails to respect the dignity of that child as the recipient of the gift of life.”
In its assessment of gender, the Vatican cites its 2019 position, rejecting the notion that people can choose or change genders and criticized gender fluidity.
It called gender fluidity a symptom of the “confused concept of freedom” and “momentary desires” that characterize post-modern culture.
However, the document refrains from repurposing language labeling homosexual actions as “intrinsically disordered,” reflecting a nuanced approach under Pope Francis.
While Francis has emphasized outreach to LGBTQ+ individuals, insisting that the Catholic Church must welcome all children of God, he has also criticized “gender theory” as the “worst danger” facing humanity today.
Transgender Christians have expressed disappointment with the Vatican’s document, considering it “hurtful” and lacking representation of real transgender experiences, especially in its distinction between transgender people and intersex people.
The release of “Infinite Dignity” coincides with a broader backlash against transgender rights, particularly in the United States, where Republican-led legislatures are considering bills restricting medical care and gender-related policies for transgender youths.
Melissa Enoch
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