- Pope Francis approves document stating that trans gender people can now be baptized and become Godparents
- The document was signed Oct. 21 by Pope Francis and Cardinal Víctor Manuel Fernández, and posted on the dicastery website on Wednesday
- The Vatican states willingness to include trans people in the church is the latest step it has taken to extend itself to the LGBTQ community
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The Vatican announced on Wednesday 8th November that transgender people can be baptized and become Godparents
A a document approved by Pope Francis, the Vatican declared transgender Catholics can be baptized, become godparents and be witnesses at Catholic weddings.
The document was signed Oct. 21 by Pope Francis and Cardinal Víctor Manuel Fernández, who heads the Vatican’s Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith and was posted Wednesday on that office’s website.
In direct response to questions posed by a Brazilian bishop about church teachings on the participation of transgender and gay people in some sacrament, the document was written to give the answers.
The document posted in Portuguese and Italian translations, says that under certain circumstances, transgender people, whether they had undergone hormonal treatment or surgical intervention ,can be godparents at Catholic baptisms, serve as witnesses at religious weddings and receive baptism themselves.
It continues by stating transgender people can be baptized if there are no situations where there is a risk of causing a public scandal or disorientation among the faithful. However, the document did not elaborate on what would be considered a scandal.
Children and adolescents who question their assigned gender may be baptized if well prepared and willing.
Transgender people can also be godparents at a baptism, although a local priest should exercise pastoral prudence and ensure that there is no risk of scandal or educational disorientation among the church community.
The document adds that nothing in current church law prohibits L.G.B.T.Q. people from acting as witnesses for a marriage ceremony. It also says that a same-sex couple could baptize an adopted child, or one born of a surrogate mother, as long as there is a well-founded hope that it would be educated in the Catholic religion.
On allowing people in same-sex relationships to be godparents, the Vatican proposed that the situation was more complicated. A godparent could be anyone, including a gay person, who leads a life that conforms to the faith.
But people in same-sex relationships similar to marriage, which the church opposes, do not conform to the faith, the document says, suggesting they should not become godparents.
Adding to the variation, and latitude, the document says those people could be invited to witness the baptism and left some discretion to the local priest, calling on pastors to wisely ponder every case to safeguard the sacrament of baptism.
Pope Francis, is known for his softer tone on LGBTQ issues than his previous predecessors.
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