La DAME – St. Mary’s College reversed a new plan last week to consider transgender students for entrance to the previously all-female Catholic university after weeks of controversy.
Academic applicants whose “sex at birth is female or who consistently live and identify as women” will be taken into consideration, according to an update to the South Bend college’s non-discrimination policy that was made in June.
After President Katie Conboy’s message informing faculty, staff, and students of the policy change was made public, that change garnered national attention in November.
Days later, St. Mary’s board of trustees was urged by Indiana Bishop Kevin Rhoades, whose diocese includes South Bend, to “reject gender ideologies that contradict the authentic teachings of the Catholic Church” and “correct its admissions policy.”
The committee complied on December 21. Conboy and the committee leader stated in a text to the Saint Mary’s College community that it had “become increasingly obvious… that the stance we took is not shared by all members of our community.”
The email states that “some worried that this was much more than just a policy choice; they felt it diluted our mission or even threatened our Catholic identity.” “We lost people’s trust and unwittingly caused division where we had hoped for unity as this past month went on. We sincerely apologize for this.
The school’s change of course was praised by those who opposed the previous policy, who claimed that allowing males who identify as women into an all-female university violated Catholic doctrine.
Bishop Rhoades wrote in an open letter, “The desire of Saint Mary’s College to extend kindness to people who identify as trans is not the problem.” “The issue is that a Catholic educational institution adopts an unCatholic definition of woman.”
According to Marianne Duddy-Burke, executive director of the Catholic LGBTQ advocacy group DignityUSA, those who support the previous policy believe that the reversal sets a dangerous precedent for transgender students who already experience real discrimination in the church.
She claimed that “the board at St. Mary’s essentially caved under pressure.” “It just demonstrates how frequently transgender people are singled out and used as scapegoats in our society and religion. It’s disheartening that the board abandoned its steadfast belief that this was the right course of action.”
There are only two genders, according to the majority of Catholics. According to a survey conducted by the Public Religion Research Institute this year, 69% of white Catholics and 66% of Hispanic Catholics share this opinion.
In response to the controversy, St. Mary’s may hold a number of listening sessions to “examine what it means to live our values as sacramental women of the Catholic faith.”
Conboy wrote in the notice, “We will continue to work toward understanding how a school like ours can be truly home—a place of open windows and open hands, where everyone, with all their differences intact, belongs.”
The policy change, which aims to make the church more equitable while upholding its strict ban on gay marriage, was made just days after Pope Francis officially approved letting Catholic priests bless same-sex couples.
According to Duddy-Burke of DignityUSA, it all demonstrates how the church is attempting to address LGBTQ issues.
“Dealing with gender identity is, in my opinion, brand new for Catholic institutions,” she said. “However, entities that attempt to navigate this on the right side of history are paying the price.”
