The Vatican announced in a document on Wednesday, Nov. 8, that the Catholic Church will now allow transgender people to be baptized, serve as witnesses at weddings and be named as godparents under specific conditions.
These new rules came in response to a dubia, or a set of questions that seek clarification, from Bishop Giuseppe Negri of San Amaro, Brazil, that asked about transgender participation in the sacraments baptism and matrimony. It was sent to the Dicastery for the Doctrine of Faith of the Vatican and approved and signed by Pope Francis.
The document stated that the Church can baptize transgender individuals “if there are no situations in which there is a risk of generating public scandal or confusion among the faithful.” However, it did not explain what constitutes a public scandal.
In order to serve as a godparent, the document said that individuals must pursue “a life in conformity with the faith and the task he or she assumes.” The Vatican explained that “pastoral prudence” should also influence this choice, giving a priest some discretion in choosing the godparents in these situations.
Since his election to the papacy in March 2013 at the age of 76, Pope Francis has repeatedly spoken about welcoming those of LGBTQ+ identity into the Catholic Church. According to the Associated Press, he became the first pope in history to endorse same-sex civil unions in 2020, saying, “They are children of God.” However, this and similar statements have sparked contention among Church leadership.
Just days after the response to the dubia was released to the public, the Vatican announced the removal of outspoken conservative Bishop Joseph Strickland of Tyler, Texas.
In June, the Vatican sent an apostolic visitation to the Diocese of Tyler that reviewed the bishop’s “leadership” and “governance.” The two U.S. bishops making the visitation found that “the continuation in office of Bishop Strickland was not feasible.” According to Vatican news, the Vatican requested his resignation, but Bishop Strickland declined. As a result, Pope Francis decided to remove him.
Bishop Strickland has become a leading critic of Pope Francis and his stance on some social issues—even calling him out on social media.
“I believe Pope Francis is the Pope, but it is time for me to say that I reject his program of undermining the Deposit of Faith,” he wrote on X, formerly Twitter, in May. “Follow Jesus.”
Although the firing of the bishop is unrelated to the Vatican’s announcement of expanding transgender inclusion in the Church, it signifies that under Pope Francis’ leadership, the Catholic Church is becoming more open to progressive reforms.
These rivalries within the Catholic Church demonstrate that political polarization is affecting all corners of the world, creating challenges for the effective operation of government. However, this is unlikely to change, as it appears that hostilities will continue throughout the reign of Pope Francis.
