By Bishop Michael W. Warfel
In the early 1990s, I was a parish priest in Kodiak, Alaska. A new individual arrived at the parish. I’ll call him Kelly. Kelly had been married with a wife and three children but was estranged from his family. The issue? Kelly had had “sexual reassignment” surgery. While this was a new phenomenon for me, Kelly became a regular at the parish and by and large was accepted by a group of women in the parish. At that time, I knew little of transgenderism and did not know how to address the issue. The issue of transgenderism was not prevalent or very visible in society at that time, but Kelly was a Catholic and regularly attended Mass. Other parishioners at Mass didn’t make an issue of Kelly’s presence though there were some stares. At a private meeting at Kelly’s request, I told Kelly that I could not accept someone undergoing a surgical process to anatomically change their appearance from a man to a woman. I knew that the Catechism of the Catholic Church supported what I said. At the same time, Kelly was a Catholic and, as such, obligated to attend Mass, so I never discouraged Kelly from attending or from being involved in the parish.
Fast forward to today, the issue of transgenderism has become quite a neuralgic issue in society. It is unlikely most people would recognize the name Christine Jorgensen, the first relatively well-known person in the United States to have undergone “sex reassignment” surgery in 1952 in Denmark. Many would recognize Caitlan Jenner, however, formerly Bruce Jenner who was an Olympic champion and reality show star. In our own Montana Legislature, there was a contentious debate over a law to prohibit various medical interventions for minors experiencing gender dysphoria. Montana State Representative Zooey Zephyr, a trans-identified gender woman, was silence by the Speaker of the House for refusing to apologize for stating, “If you vote yes on this bill and yes on these amendments, I hope the next time there’s an invocation when you bow your heads in prayer, you see the blood on your hands.” (While alluding to the issue of suicide, there is evidence that medical transition does not lead to an elevated suicidality among those suffering from gender dysphoria.)
In the 1990s when I was a pastor in Kodiak, Alaska and Kelly arrived at my parish, little was known about transgenderism. I can’t recall the term even being used. Today, according to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention estimates, 1.6 million people in the United States aged 13 and older self-identify as transgender, i.e., an identity that does not conform to their biological sex. The psychological term to describe this is gender dysphoria, emphasizing that there is a marked incompatibility and incongruity between what a person experiences as their gender and their biological sex. I’ve been reading about the subject in order to have a better understanding of it. I have become more aware how other factors can significantly complicate the issue such as an individual who is intersex, a variety of conditions otherwise known as Disorders of Sexual Development. Most of the population have either XX chromosomes or XY chromosomes. Intersex individuals (a very small percentage of the population) may have a mix of chromosomes such as XXY or a combination of XY and XX which may truly bring about confusion as to their sexual identity. In this article I am addressing gender dysphoria and not cases of individuals with intersex conditions. In particular, I address the issue of minors who experience gender dysphoria.
Given that little was said about the gender dysphoria in the 1990s, I asked myself what has led to such an increase in those who identify as transgender. A recent study from the UCLA School of Law Williams Institute cited a number of factors such as a shifting population, greater awareness of transgender individuals in society and an increase in social media. The reference to social media caught my attention given the influence social media platforms like Tik Tok and Facebook have on a younger generation. Whatever the reason, transgenderism is an issue facing, not only a good number of individuals in the general population, but a number of individuals who are in our parishes and Catholic schools. It causes strain within families as they struggle to discern how to address these issues within their homes and communities.
Pope Francis recently addressed the issue of transgenderism during an interview with an Argentinian newspaper and reaffirmed recently during a visit to Hungary. He stated, “Gender ideology, today, is one of the most dangerous ideological colonization’s… because it blurs difference and the value of man and woman.” This was not the first time Pope Francis had made such remarks. I recalled Pope Francis making an almost identical statement to the group of bishops of which I was a part during our ad limina visit in 2019 in Rome.
Pastorally, it is important to seek truth and then speak the truth in love. Truth is the most loving reality that any person can offer to another person. Speaking truth is not a matter of helping someone feel good. Nor is it a matter of accepting or tolerating the behavior of someone caught up in confusion about their identity. Love (and morality) in a Christian sense is based in reality, so it is important to affirm reality for a person struggling with their identity. At all times, it is essential to see all other people as God sees them, as created in God’s image and likeness, as beloved. Based on Christian anthropology, the Catholic Church affirms that according to the order of creation, biological sex and gender cannot be separated and these are a gift from God to be celebrated and reverenced.
How is a Catholic supposed to respond to the issue of transgenderism or, more concretely, to someone who subjectively identifies with a gender incongruent with their biological sex? A recent pastoral Letter written by Archbishop Alexander Sample of the Archdiocese of Portland provides direction worth sharing. In his pastoral letter he urges an approach that is consistent with Catholic teaching, one that addresses and affirms the whole person. The Catechism of the Catholic Church teaches that the human person is comprised of “spirit and matter…” [These] are not two natures that have been united, but rather spirit and matter form a single nature (CCC #362).
With regard to what is commonly, but inappropriately, referred to as “Gender Affirming Care,” the Montana Legislature passed a bill banning various medical interventions and procedures for children under the age of eighteen. It became law with the Governor’s signature though it is now being litigated. Given that there are very few studies measuring long-term outcomes of medical transition procedures and interventions, it is quite possible that unintended harm could come as a result to children who receive puberty blockers, cross-hormones, or surgery. Even an organization like the World Professional Association for Transgender Health (WPATA) urge comprehensive assessment and caution. Too many professionals are pushing parents to pursue medical treatment for their children with gender dysphoria when counseling and nonmedical interventions are by far a better and safer course to take. This is why Whole-Person Affirmation is by far the best course of action for parents with children dealing with gender dysphoria.
Whole-Person Affirmation affirms the belovedness of every person, an important starting point to help anyone who struggles with gender dysphoria, view themselves as of little worth and think their experience of sex incongruence or gender dysphoria is itself sinful. What God sees in every person is a person of inestimable worth, someone for whom his Son died on the cross to save. Secondly, whole-person affirmation affirms the goodness and sacramentality of the body. The human person is not just a body and not just a soul. Our bodies and souls make up one nature. Though our subjective thoughts and feelings may lead to confusion about identity (which is not sinful) the objective reality is something quite different. Thirdly, whole-person affirmation affirms the uniqueness of the individual. This is a key insight. As Archbishop Sample writes, “There is no one ‘right way’ to be a boy or girl, a man or a woman.” Cultural stereotypes of different times and places demonstrate that masculinity and femininity have been expressed quite differently in the world. An embrace of transgenderism as normative, however, can be as Pope Francis asserts, destructive and contrary to Christian anthropology. Fourthly, whole-person affirmation affirms the need for accompaniment. For those who struggle with any kind of issue, it is important that other individuals be with them in the process.
Attending to persons who identify as transgender is obviously a sensitive matter for many people. It can be particularly difficult for parents whose child asserts they are not who they appear to be biologically. Within families, parishes, and schools, it has proven to be divisive and has led to hurtful, albeit necessary decisions. How Jesus responded to others, especially the marginalized, was to treat them with love, respect, and compassion but also truthfully in love.
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