By DAVID CRARY (AP National Writer)
Transgender Catholics — along with a priest who welcomes them to his parish — said they were disappointed on Monday with a new Vatican document that rejects the basic idea of changing one’s biological sex.
Basically, it was a reaffirmation of long-standing Catholic doctrine, but the disappointment was stronger because recent actions by Pope Francis had given some trans Catholics hope that the church might become more accepting.
The pope has embraced a group of transgender women at his weekly general audiences. And last year, the Vatican stated that it’s acceptable, under certain conditions, for trans people to be baptized as Catholics and serve as godparents.
Maxwell Kuzma, a 32-year-old lifelong Catholic transgender man working as a film editor and writer in rural Ohio, said, “A document like this is very hurtful to the larger LGBTQ+ community but especially to the trans community.”
“We have seen the care and love Pope Francis has personally shown to the trans community in his personal interactions, yet this document fails to extend that same respect, love, and support,” Kuzma said via email.
The new document never uses the word “transgender,” which troubled Michael Sennett, a transgender man involved with an LGBTQ+ ministry at St. Ignatius of Loyola Church in Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts.
“Avoiding the word ‘transgender’ speaks to limiting the dignity of transgender people,” Sennett said via email.
He also was dismayed by the document’s admonition that God created man and woman as biologically different, separate beings, and that people must not tinker with that or try to “make oneself God.”
Christine Zuba, a transgender woman from New Jersey, noted with dismay that the Vatican doctrine office’s 20-page document declared gender-affirming surgery to be a “grave violation of human dignity,” on par with such global ills as war and human trafficking.
“Transgender persons are being condemned for who we are, and more importantly we become subject to potential harm,” Zuba said in an email. “It again (sadly) gives fuel to those who continue to deny our existence.”
“We exist, but we do not. We have dignity, but we do not. I don’t even want to think about what the religious and political right will make of this.“
As for Pope Francis, Zuba praised him as “a good and holy man.”
“Our church however still has a LOT to learn,” she added. “We are Not an Ideology. Talk to us. Learn.”
The Catholic Church in the U.S. isn't all the same when it comes to transgender policies. Some dioceses have strict rules against recognizing gender transitions. But some parishes, like the Church of Our Lady of Grace in Hoboken, New Jersey, have welcomed trans people. Its priest, the Rev. Alexander Santora, invited Zuba a few years ago to speak at its annual Pride Mass.
Santora told The Associated Press that he was encouraged by some parts of the new Vatican document, including its statement that homosexuality should not be punished by law.
“I'm worried, though, that this document's tone might cause more harm to trans individuals and increase the hate that is growing in the U.S., leading to more strict laws that will result in suicides and violence,” he said via email. “I hope the Vatican brings together devout trans Catholics from around the world to analyze this document and make it more caring.”
Kuzma, the Ohio-based film editor and writer, said his disappointment over the Vatican document was mixed with continued hope.
“We are currently getting a lot of attention, but we have been around throughout history and have often been given special roles in cultures that recognized our unique talents,” he said.
“The Catholic Church moves slowly, but I hope that one day, the Vatican will truly appreciate the wonderful and important talents transgender people have to offer to the church and the world.”
Associated Press religion coverage is supported by the AP’s collaboration with The Conversation US, with funding from Lilly Endowment Inc. The AP is solely responsible for this content.
Transgender Catholics are expressing disappointment with a new Vatican document rejecting the basic idea of changing one’s biological sex. Essentially, it's a reiteration of long-standing Catholic teaching. But the disappointment was greater because recent actions by Pope Francis had given some trans Catholics hope that the church might become more inclusive. Maxwell Kuzma, a Catholic transgender man from Ohio, said he was thankful for the pope's personal outreach. But Kuzma said the new document fails to show similar respect and support. A trans woman from New Jersey, Christine Zuba, said church leaders should engage with trans Catholics, listen to their stories, and then consider a new approach.
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Associated Press religion coverage receives support through the AP’s collaboration with The Conversation US, with funding from Lilly Endowment Inc. The AP is solely responsible for this content.
