The Vatican’s new stance stems from Brazilian Bishop Jose Negri asking the Church’s Dicastery of the Doctrine of the Faith six questions regarding LGBTQ people and their ability to participate in matrimony and baptisms.
In response to Bishop Negri’s six questions, the Church’s Dicastery of the Doctrine of the Faith posted three pages in Italian on its website that answered Negri’s questions.
According to BBC the response on the department’s website stated “A transgender person – including those who have undergone hormonal treatment and gender reassignment surgery – can receive baptism under the same conditions as other believers “if there are no situations in which there is a risk of generating public scandal or disorientation among the faithful”.
The Church’s Dicastery of the Doctrine of the Faith continued to declare that transgenders may be a godfather or godmother.
The new updated stance on transgenders was signed by Argentine Cardinal Víctor Manuel Fernández and had the approval of Pope Francis.
Per Reuters:
Transgender people can be godparents at Roman Catholic baptisms, witnesses at religious weddings and receive baptism themselves, the Vatican’s doctrinal office said on Wednesday, responding to questions from a bishop.
The department, known as the Dicastery of the Doctrine of the Faith, was vague however, in response to a question of whether a same-sex couple could have a Church baptism for an adopted child or one obtained through a surrogate mother.
Bishop Jose Negri of Santo Amaro in Brazil sent the doctrinal office six questions in July regarding LGBT people and their participation in the sacraments of baptism and matrimony.
The three pages of questions and answers were signed by the department’s head, Argentine Cardinal Víctor Manuel Fernández, and approved by Pope Francis on Oct. 31. They were posted on the department’s website on Wednesday using the Italian word for “transsexuals”.
The document also noted children who identify as transgender can also be baptized.
