Threats to human dignity: Vatican reaffirms hostility to sex change surgery, surrogacy, gender theory

THE VATICAN on Monday reaffirmed its opposition to sex changes, gender theory and surrogate parenthood, as well as abortion and euthanasia, four months after supporting blessings for same-sex couples.

The Vatican's doctrinal office (DDF) released the "Dignitas infinita" (Infinite dignity) declaration following fierce conservative pushback, especially in Africa, against its document on LGBT issues. There is no suggestion that the new text, which describes what the Church perceives as threats to human dignity, was prepared in direct response to the rows over same-sex blessings, as it has been five years in the making. But it has undergone extensive revisions over the period.

Pope Francis approved it after requesting that it also mention "poverty, the situation of migrants, violence against women, human trafficking, war, and other themes", the head of the DDF, Cardinal Victor Manuel Fernandez, said in a statement.

The declaration said surrogate parenting violated the dignity of both the surrogate mother and the child, and recalled that Francis in January called it “despicable” and urged a global ban.

It acknowledged that some people may undergo surgery to resolve “genital abnormalities”, but stressed “such a medical procedure would not constitute a sex change”.

At the same time, the text also denounced as contrary to human dignity the fact that “in some places, not a few people are imprisoned, tortured, and even deprived of the good of life solely because of their sexual orientation”.

AP file Pope Francis.