U.S. Catholic bishops voted Wednesday to formally ban “gender-affirming” care for “transgender” patients at Catholic hospitals, cementing restrictions at facilities that treat one in seven American patients daily.
The bishops overwhelmingly approved revised ethical directives during their Baltimore assembly, making official what has been an unofficial practice at most Catholic medical centers.
Catholic hospitals serve as the sole medical providers in many communities, raising concerns about healthcare access for “transgender” patients seeking treatments that some major medical groups support.
“With regard to the gender ideology, I think it’s very important the church makes a strong statement here,” said Bishop Robert Barron of Minnesota’s Winona-Rochester diocese, the Associated Press reported.
The new guidelines prohibit surgical or chemical interventions that transform sexual characteristics. Individual bishops will decide whether to implement the directives as law in their dioceses.
The Catholic Health Association acknowledged the decision while emphasizing continued care for those who identify as “transgender.”
“We will continue to treat these individuals with dignity and respect, which is consistent with Catholic social teaching and our moral obligation to serve everyone, particularly those who are marginalized,” the organization stated, per AP.
Not all Catholics agree with the restrictions. Michael Sennett, a “trans” man active in his Massachusetts parish, countered that “for many trans people, gender-affirming care is what makes life livable.”
Other religious leaders issued their own statement on Wednesday supporting the rights of “transgender,” intersex, and “non-binary” persons. The heads of ten denominations, including the Episcopal Church and Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), declared that “our beloveds are created in the image of God – Holy and whole.”
The bishops also addressed immigration concerns, approving a rare “special message” opposing “indiscriminate mass deportation.” The pastoral statement, their first since 2013, expressed concern about the fear among immigrant communities and the conditions in detention centers.
“We are disturbed when we see among our people a climate of fear and anxiety around questions of profiling and immigration enforcement,” the bishops’ statement reads.
Chicago Cardinal Blase Cupich successfully pushed for stronger language on mass deportations.
“That seems to be the central issue we are facing with our people at this time,” he said, according to AP.