Vatican Says Trans Catholics Can Be Baptized

The Catholic church is very divisive when it comes to LGBTQ+ rights within the church, but Pope Francis and the Vatican have said recently in a document, signed on October 21, that transgender people are allowed to be baptized, serve as witnesses in weddings, and serve as godparents during other’s baptisms.

The baptisms extend to trans minors as well. This document was released due to concerns raised in a letter from a Brazilian bishop. This was a direct contradiction to the common teaching here in the United States, which entirely rejects trans catholics.

Unfortunately, there is still a bar against those in same-gender marriages and unions to witness at weddings and become godparents. While Pope Francis has maintained that he believes homosexuality is a sin, he did state it was not a crime. To that end, he also stated, “We are all children of God, and God loves us as we are and for the strength that each of us fights for our dignity.” Although it should be known that being LGBTQ+ is not a sin at all, the rest of the sentiment is monumental for a Pope to say.

The document that states trans people can have these basic rights does not change much for queer Catholics, but as Reverend James Martin, who is a pro-LGBTQ+ Jesuit preacher, says in a statement to the Associated Press, “In many dioceses and parishes, including in the U.S., transgender Catholics have been severely restricted from participating in the life of the church, not because of any canon law, but stemming from the decisions of bishops, priests, and pastoral associates. So the Vatican’s statement is a clear recognition not only of their personhood, but of their place in their own church. I hope that it helps the Catholic Church treat them less as problems and more as people.”

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