Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
The influence of gender ideology has become pervasive in contemporary society. As a result, many of the faithful and those who serve in our ministries have raised questions around the complex and sensitive topics of gender, sexual identity, and the nature of the human person. In light of recent guidance from the Church and the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB), and in keeping with our pastoral responsibility to instruct the faithful, we seek with this pastoral letter to provide clarity and resources with regard to the teaching of the Catholic Church concerning the nature of the human person.
Pope Francis has called gender ideology “one of the most dangerous ideological colonizations.” By “ideological colonization,” Pope Francis means that there are powerful cultural influences emerging in various forms of media including publishing, social media, and other influential content which exert tremendous influence on the culture. Gender ideology denies certain fundamental aspects of human existence, such as male-female sexual difference, the reciprocal complementarity of man and woman, and the essential unity of body and soul in the human person. Gender ideology is, in many important respects, radically opposed to a sound understanding of human nature, leading to forms of cultural influence, especially via education and legislation, that promote a notion of personal identity which is left to the choice of the individual and that deny the anthropological basis of the family as founded on the biological difference between male and female. It is thus opposed to reason, to science, and to a Christian view of the human person.
Throughout her history, the Catholic Church has opposed notions of dualism that posit the body and soul as separate, non-integrated entities. The body is an integral and indispensable aspect of what it means to be a human person. The body and soul come into existence together, in an individual human being at the time of conception. From the beginning of his or her existence, the human person has a body that is sexually differentiated as male or female. “‘Being man’ or ‘being woman’ is a reality which is good and willed by God.” Consequently, one can never be said to be in the “wrong” body. “For this reason,” the Catechism of the Catholic Church explains, “man may not despise his bodily life. Rather, he is obliged to regard his body as good and to hold it in honor since God has created it and will raise it up on the last day.” Male-female sexual difference and complementarity are also essential to a Christian understanding of marital conjugal union, which is itself an image of Trinitarian communion. Eliminating this difference would diminish in man and woman part of what it means to bear God’s image and likeness. In addition, it would do away with the very basis of the family, the “first vital cell of society.” Doing so would be an offense against human dignity and a social injustice.
Many faithful Catholics demonstrate solidarity with those suffering from gender dysphoria, unjust discrimination, or other questions related to gender identity and sincerely desire to respond in love to their sisters and brothers. The Church is called to do as Jesus did, to accompany in a spirit of solidarity those marginalized and suffering while affirming the beauty and truth of God’s creation. “Truth is the light that gives meaning and value to charity…. Without truth, charity degenerates into sentimentality. Love becomes an empty shell.” Compassion that does not include both truth and charity is a misplaced compassion….
Most Rev. Salvatore J. Cordileone
Archbishop of San Francisco
Most Rev. Michael C. Barber, S.J.
Bishop of Oakland
From the Archdiocese of San Francisco
Only the truth helps.
Changing your gender means you give up your gametes. Simply put, no matter which way you change your gender, you sterilize yourself. That’s why when parents agree to gender reassignment surgery for their children, they are engaging in forced sterilization; which in other contexts, such as for prisoners and mentally ill, would be against United States law.
Most trans people do not have “bottom” surgery.
Gender dysphoria is a mental health issue and needs treatment and compassion.
Of course. As a mental health issue, not one requiring chemicals and surgery.
Maybe the only two good bishops in the state.
It might have been useful had the authors mentioned the havoc raised by these mentally ill individuals in women’s sports. There must be an unimaginable narcissism in these males to invade the privacy of women’s lockers and then compete against them as if this were somehow all well and good. A word on the dangers of putting such sick individuals in positions of influence in government might have been useful as well.
I think Archbishop Cordileone is confused.
People conflate gender issues, gender “ideology”, gender theory, transgender issues.
Which one is he talking about when he says it is opposed to reason? to science? to a Christian view of the human person?
Is he saying that human souls have a sex? What does he base that on?
They call God the Father but they also say that God is not male or female.
I did not get clarity. I just got more confused.
I have never seen gender “ideology” deny male/female sexual differences.
People confuse sex and gender. Gender identity, gender expression is different that sexual identity, sexuality.
The human mind is capable of rejecting reality and creating it’s own up to a certain point. It is the Church’s job to say “this far and no farther.”
Every time I see something on this issue from the Church, it is confused.
Could they just say whether it is a sin or not?
“People confuse sex and gender.” Confused, people did not confuse sex and gender before the advent of the sexual revolution. I think it likely that the differentiation of the two came as a necessity to provide a foundation for LGBTQ+ theory.
Nope. Women’s studies did it.
“Nope. Women’s studies did it.” I am intrigued. Can you explain further? Because as I see it, women’s studies would branch into lesbianism which is part of queer theory.
Not lesbianism. Feminism.
Gender is not sexuality.
From Feminism October 9, 2023 at 8:04 am: Gender is not sexuality.
Elsewhere I have tried to define gender as I see it promoted in queer theory. It is not always easy to pin down what gender means to all feminist/queer advocates; but one thing I am sure of, and that is your statement here is nonsense. At the very least gender is how you feel about yourself as a sexual being. To say the two concepts to not overlap is absurd, IMHO.
A person of any gender can be sexually attracted to other people of the same sex or opposite sex or both or neither. Some people are not sexually attracted unless they are romantically attracted to the person. Some do not need that. Some need some kind of other attraction to be sexually attracted (attention, money, nice car, big butt etc.)
I have not studied queer theory at all so I do not know.
Gender is not about yourself as a sexual being in terms of who you want to have sex with.
It is more about if you think of yourself as male or female or neither or both. So it is in childhood also before people even start thinking about that stuff.
And people “genderize” things that don’t have gender. One of Caitlyn Jenner’s kids said “I miss doing boy things with Dad.” She meant dirt bikes or outdoors things. She does them (she is female) but she considered them “boy” things. One of the stupidest questions Jenner was asked was “Would he be using the women’s golf tee?’ (An Olympic athlete…)
Some girls were called “tomboys”, remember that? “Mama’s boys” “Girly men” “Butch”
People have been doing this for a long time.
Dan, the designation of pink for girls and blue for boys is less than 100 years old. In the 1920s, it was the opposite. Before that, all babies wore white and all wore dresses. I imagine you have seen old photos like that.
Now there are gender reveals that use pink and blue confetti, smoke, cake etc to tell the sex of the unborn baby.
Those use the word gender as an equivalent of sex.
The word has more than one meaning.
“I had a hairline advancement, a brow bone shave, a rhinoplasty, minor cheek enhancement, a little lip lift, a jaw shave, a chin reduction and a tracheal shave.” – Dylan Mulvaney
But see the caption – all that plastic surgery is referred to as facial feminization
Did you need help and protection from a man or from an adult?
“The body and soul come into existence together, in an individual human being at the time of conception.” Ummm, I thought the body came from the mom and dad and the soul was made immediately by God. Has the Church ever really said something like that?
Can someone source that?
In the 1869 document Apostolicae Sedis, issued by Pope Pius IX. Of course, the body comes from a mother and father (at least until the past few years, according to the new gender theorists), yet the cooperation of us humans does not remove God from His role as the ultimate Creator of all that exists, including each and every human person.
366 The Church teaches that every spiritual soul is created immediately by God – it is not “produced” by the parents – and also that it is immortal: it does not perish when it separates from the body at death, and it will be reunited with the body at the final Resurrection.
From the beginning of his or her existence, the human person has a body that is sexually differentiated as male or female. “
What?
What are they talking about?
They are explaining that maleness or femaleness is present as a sexual characteristic from the moment of person’s conception. XY or XX chromosomes. Is that simple and clear enough for you?
So at some micro-cellular level?
We were taught that all embryos are female and that sex does not develop until later.
We stop being embryos after week 8 of gestation. They can differentiate sex at 14 weeks.
And when is it a body? From the zygote?
Obviously this could be said much better because you have to change what they said in order to understand it.
Maybe Bishop Cantu could issue a similar letter. Archbishop Mitty High School’s “Shepherd” program might benefit from such.
As they describe their program, “Shepherd is a Campus Ministry program that works to promote dignity and respect for LGBTQ+ people on campus. We educate our members and the campus on Queer history and issues also provide a safe space for all allies and queer students. Time in the club is devoted to fun activities, organizing educational campaigns, and learning. We meet once a month. More information can be found by emailing or by going to Shepherd’s Canvas Page. All are welcome, all are accepted, and all are made in the image and likeness of God.”
Every time Adam and Eve come up, the serpents appear.
There is no “confusion”, gents.
Let’s make it simple:
“Male and female He created them.”
“Be fruitful and multiply”.
So God created male and female to fill the earth with humans, so male and female are created by GOD (not man) and the purpose of that is human fertility.
So sex that excludes fertility (“gay” sex and contraception) is evil.
So obviously is mucking about with the identity God gave us.
Now if you don’t believe the Bible is the Word of God, I can only ask what you’re doing here. No honest Catholic will be confused by the bishop’s words, if you get my drift.
There are different definitions of ideology, but if they mean the way something is thought about then the Church is developing it’s ideology on gender.
We have little guidance from the Vatican and in America, at least, different diocese are saying different things.
The one thing that seems to be consistent is that they feel that a persons should align their gender identity with their biological sex as determined by genitalia. They do not address those with genital anomalies.
Every diocese I am familiar with has published school guideline that say that children must conform to the dress of their “sex assigned at birth” as well as using the bathroom of the sex assigned at birth.
So-is getting plastic surgery a sin?
Not if it’s done to repair a defect (i.e. cleft palate) or the results of an injury. If it’s done out of vanity or delusion, it would seems at least a waste of medical resources, and if it attempted to disfigure our nature (sex “changes”) then it most certainly is mortally sinful.
Is dying your hair a sin? Is going to a tanning salon a sin? Is getting a pedicure a sin? Is getting a mud mask a sin? Is electrolysis hair removal a sin?
Some of those are mere hygiene, some temporary measures (if of dubious benefit). They’re not surgery.
Would a nun do those things?
Dylan Mulvaney is an attention-seeking whore. There is a video of him when he was a contestant on the price is right show. He was obviously playing gay to the camera. Now his attention-seeking bid is to be trans. Total narcissist. Completely unwell in the mind.
He is unwell and lost. Yet, do you think Jesus would call him a “whore?” Do you think Jesus called prostitutes of His day “whores” (or the first-century equivalent)? Jesus looked with love at sinners (and, who among us is not a sinner?). Do you think name-calling will help Dylan Mulvaney come to repentance and life in Christ? I encourage you to pray for him. We all need the redemption and peace that only Christ can bring.
Deacon Craig Anderson, my take on the narcissist October 6, 2023 at 10:35 pm post was different from yours. An alternative definition of “whore” would be: ” a venal or unscrupulous person” (as a noun) or “to pursue a faithless, unworthy, or idolatrous desire” (as a verb). Given that venal implies someone who is easily bought– purchasable, if you will– then the noun version fits Dylan Mulvaney quite well.
Dan, I appreciate your thoughtful reply. Yet, regardless of any definition of “whore,” do you think using such a term about Dylan Mulvaney is more or less likely to draw him to Christ? I think I know your answer. Is calling someone conceived out of wedlock a bastard, for example, acceptable, even when factually true? We need to be careful about what we say and write, especially in public forums or to individuals who we might needlessly drive further away from Christ and His Church. I don’t want to win arguments. I’d rather see God use me to win souls to Christ.
Deacon Craig Anderson, I concede on all your points, my only caveat being that narcissist was probably using the variant definition of the word, and I wasn’t sure you picked up on that. Now you have me thinking more about Dylan; super Catholic October 9, 2023 at 7:28 am tells us he was raised in a strict (?) Catholic home but has rebelled twice: first when he came out as gay, and second, when he decided to go trans in a serious (?) way. That’s a long road for anyone back to the Catholic church. He has gained much notoriety for himself and the attention and accolades of many (and the derision of even more) represent difficult obstacles for a return to humility and acceptance of Divine Grace in the place of that worldly acclaim. Since I do not know how he would best be reached for his soul’s salvation, I shall just pray for him.
I think the original commenter probably just got their slang wrong. I think they meant “attention whore” which has nothing to do with prostitution and this is not the first time that Mulvaney has been called that.
It is the main criticism that is lobbed at the influencer.
Mulvaney said he had been raised “super Catholic” but was “turned away” from the church after he “came out as gay as a teen.” As he sang the lyrics to “Jesus Loves Me,” Mulvaney said he “definitely believes in something bigger, whether it’s a God or the universe or angels.”
From christianpost article
It is really easy when you are young to let others define you, to let them tell you who you are, what you should do, who you should be.
Most of the time, people are just running their mouths.
“You’ll make a good mother or father” “You’ll make a good husband or wife.” They are just complimenting you on something you did. It is not your destiny.
“You should be a fireman, lawyer, priest, etc” They are just talking. They don’t know you.
Gender identity can be very flimsy because of stupid things other people have said. “Girls don’t do this. girls like this. Boys like this.”
I knew a young person who was questioning because of stupid generalizations online.
Don’t be quick to let others define you. Take all the time you need to figure it out.
And if someone asks you “Are you trans?” the answer is “What a rude question!”
Or, “I am being transformed by Christ.”
I don’t know what they are talking about.
I am not LGBTQ so maybe it is written to address something I don’t even understand.
They need to define their terms.
When they gender ideology, what are talking about?
This started with Pope Benedict XVI and I was wondering what he was talking about.
They need to do better.
This makes no sense.
What are they saying?
sum peeps won’t never
understand nuthin’
Don’t feel bad. I find, when people speak of myriads of genders, that I don’t understand either, and I have a suspicion that these self-same gender promoters don’t either. As far as I can tell, the new “learning” says gender is how you feel about yourself as a sexual being and has nothing or little to do with biology. The problem is, how you feel about yourself changes, or can change, over time as life experiences can shape/alter one’s view of oneself which would imply a person can change genders. So biology is fixed but gender is fluid. Trans individuals want to change their biology to accommodate their perceived gender. That is my take on queer theory, given without any particular competence in the field. I invite critiques.
Keep learning. I don’t want to indoctrinate you into an “ideology” that I do not even agree with.
But keep listening to those who have gender issues and try to at least be able to accurately restate what they said. And some of them are young and what they feel will change.
So much of how young people define themselves comes from other people and from inexperience.
I am giving a link, not because I want you to read and accept it but because it shows sources.
When someone talks about queer theory (which is probably a subset of gender theory, maybe?), whose queer theory?
https://www.alignplatform.org/2-queer-theory-and-gender-norms#:~:text=Queer%20theory%20also%20suggests%20that,social%20(Felluga%2C%202011).
I wish the gay stuff would go away. Life was better when gay stuff wasn’t talked about. Life was better when gay stuff wasn’t encourage, promoted and celebrated.
Caveat emptor.
In the old days, you had to live for 10 years as the opposite sex before they would even consider surgeries.
Now, like Chloe Cole, it determines with very little consultation.
Please, give yourself all the time you need.
It will not fix what is wrong if you have autism, ADHD or other nuerodiverse conditions.
If you really just don’t know what is wrong with you and think maybe your trans or queer, give it a lot of time.
You do not need to have surgery. Most trans people don’t have surgery.
Many people now identify as nonbinary. They do not have surgery or take drugs. It gives them more time to learn who they are.
Also, gender fluid, gender queer. While the Church does not endorse all that, if you are struggling and it helps you until you can talk to your pastor or someone who will listen, I think it is better than taking pills with serious side effects or having irreversible surgery.
To poster “what gender is”. I was somewhat tomboyish in childhood. Most girls I knew were. I had dolls, doll house furniture and girly things, but cars and boats too. I listened to the ships and boats at the pier and learned to make the best foghorn sounds you every heard and later entertained my grandsons with them. My grandfather and I often mowed the lawn together, and I considered it a “boy thing” since I needed help and protection from a man, I never wanted to be a man though.
My mom and my sisters and I mowed the lawn. It was not considered a “boy” thing.
That was probably unusual though.