The Vatican responded to a Portuguese priest’s query about the marriage and baptism of transgender believers last week with rebuttal, but rural Pennsylvania-born priest Shannon Kearns is skeptic of the Pope for embracing trans and female non-conforming believers.
This is a step forth, but there are still more steps to take before transgender and female non-conforming people are completely accepted by Roman Catholicism, according to Kearns, the first openly transgender preacher ordained in the Old Catholic tradition, which dates back to the 1800s.
Roman Catholicism, the largest branch of Christianity with about 1.2 billion followers worldwide, has been actively promoted by Pope Francis to contain LGBTQ+ persons. The Catholic church is the second-largest faith after Sunni Islam and the oldest continuously operating spiritual institution in the world.
According to Williams Institute data from 2020, nearly half ( 46 % ) of LGBTQ people in America identify as religious. According to data from the 2020 U.S. Religion Census, nearly a quarter ( 24.8 % ) of queer people who identify as religious are Roman Catholics, which is six percentage points higher than the percentage of Americans who are Catholic, who number about 61.9 million and make up about 18.7 % of the population.
More and more youthful Latinx people are leaving the Catholic faith, according to other data released this time. According to statistics from the Pew Research Center that was released in April, the percentage of Latino Americans who claim to be spiritually “unaffiliated” has nearly doubled over the past ten years, with about half of them now abstaining from religious affiliation. The largest growing spiritual segment among Hispanic Americans is those who assert that they practice no faith or “nothing in certain.”
The speech was approved by Pope Francis on October 31, according to Vatican News. According to a report from the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith, the Pope-approved affirmation stated that transgender people could be baptized under the same circumstances as another faithful, even those who have undergone hormone therapy and gender reassignment surgery.
In response to inquiries made by Bishop José Negri of Santo Amaro, Brazil, to the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith ( DDF), these explanations were made public on November 9.
According to Kearns, Pope Francis ‘ endorsement of this statement on transgender people is a sign that transgender and non-binary people are becoming more well-known, even within the most established religious beliefs. However, the disclaimer at the end is a less encouraging mark for Catholicism and the state of transgender people.
According to WHO,” I think it, once again, locations the thoughts of non-transgender individuals and makes transgend people othered.” Additionally, it implies that trans people are “less than” and have the capacity to cause confusion simply by virtue of their very existence.
Although the Vatican’s recognition and approval of transgender baptisms is only a small step forward, it is also evidence that some trans and gender non-conforming individuals want to participate in religious activities.
There are transgender people who identify as religious, yearn to live in spiritual communities, and are looking for acceptance and pleasant it. This statement also demonstrates that the church still has a ways to go before it is prepared to fully encouraged transgender and non-binary individuals, according to Kearns.
The issue of a transgender child’s involvement in the sacrament of baptism and other religious rites was separate from queries of health interventions for them, the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops ‘ representative emphasized in an article. She remarked,” These are different, unique issues.”
The Protection of Women and Girls in Sports Act of 2023, written by Alabama Sen. Tommy Tuberville, was one piece of anti-trans regulations that the USCCB supported. It also wrote a letter of help for the costs to both Tuberville and the Senate and Congress.
In the text of support, USCCB officials stated that “in reaction to young people who experience gender identity discrepancy, their right to take part in or try out for undergraduate athletics on the same terms as their peers may be assured, in co-educational activities, or where the sexes are separated in accordance with their natural selves.”
The Pope gained notoriety earlier this year for his remarks about LGBTQ+ individuals. He stated that while being gay should n’t be illegal, it is” still a sin” in January.
What comes future?
Online resources on LGBTQ+- accepting religion are plentiful, including Kearn’s site, queertheology .com. You can find out more about LGBTQ+-affirming spiritual communities and what religious writings have to say about sexuality by reading the following sources:
- Navigating LGBTQ Personalities and Religion: The Trevor Project
- Q. Christian Resource for LGBTQ Christians called org: LGBTQ+ Theology 101, which is also applicable in Spanish and French
- UCLA School of Law Williams Institute is a private institution that conducts independent studies on public plan, gender identity, and sexual preference.
- Resources for families of LGBTQ+ children in queertheology
- Resources for LGBTQ+ participation in the cathedral: The Reformation Collective
Through the# FaithfullyLGBT tweet, which was developed by queer doctor, theologian, and writer Matthias Roberts, LGBTQ+ Christians have been sharing their experiences and viewpoints about why participation is important to them.
In order to stop further harm to gay people who are interested in church, Kearns advised churches and pastors to be open and honest with people about where they stand on their LGBTQ+ theology.
Gay people may be welcome to attend companies, according to some churches, but they are not permitted to volunteer or hold positions of leadership. According to him, confirming LGBTQ+ believers entails their complete and unrestricted participation in the temple.
Kearns urged pastors who are debating their theology regarding LGBTQ+ inclusion to be open and honest with their congregation regarding who and where they are permitted to offer. He claims that because of their sexual orientation, many queer believers have suffered harm in churches that purported to be affirming but unfortunately limited their involvement in ministry.
