This Week in Religion - Vatican blasts gender-affirming surgery and surrogacy

Lead story

Vatican blasts gender-affirming surgery, surrogacy and gender theory as violations of human dignity

Editor's note:

The document, titled “Infinite Dignity,” had been in the works for five years within the Vatican’s doctrine office. Released this week, on the order of Pope Francis, it touched on poverty, war, human trafficking and numerous other issues but attention focused on its declaration condemning gender-affirming surgery and surrogacy. They were deemed “grave violations of human dignity,” putting them on par with abortion and euthanasia as practices viewed as rejecting God’s plan for human life. From a pope who has made outreach to the LGBTQ+ community a hallmark of his papacy, the document was received as a setback, albeit predictable, by trans Catholics. But as AP Vatican correspondent Nicole Winfield reported, its message was also consistent with the Argentine Jesuit’s long-standing belief that while trans people should be welcomed in the church, so-called “gender ideologies” should not. 

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Religion News

For Latino Muslims, Eid is a celebration of ‘Islam and Latinidad’

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Conservative Christians praise Trump’s anti-abortion record but say he’s stopped short of the goal 

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An Argentine judge recognizes gender abuse suffered for years by 20 nuns in a breakthrough ruling 

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Catholic bishops silent as Ascension hospital system shrinks maternity care

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Commentary and Analysis

A dramatic schism over social issues? The United Methodist Church has been here before – but this time, America’s religious landscape is far different

The United Methodist Church will hold its General Conference, delayed several years by the pandemic, in April 2024. The meeting comes amid a dramatic divide over LGBTQ+ rights. By Christopher H. Evans for The Conversation

In 1877, a stained-glass window depicted Jesus as Black for the first time − a scholar of visual images unpacks its significance

A stained-glass window, which shows Jesus as a Black man for the first time, tells a story not only of race but of gender, class and ethnicity. By Virginia Raguin for The Conversation

What the Buddhist text Therigatha teaches about women’s enlightenment

The Therigatha, a collection of poems written in Pāli by Buddhist nuns, reveals that women's enlightenment may not necessarily require renunciation of domestic life. By Jue Liang for The Conversation

Conservative Christians just lost their scholarly trump card on same-sex relationships

Theologian Richard Hays' reversal comes at a bad time for those who oppose accepting LGBTQ Christians. By Jonathan Merritt/Religion News Service

 

Photos of the Week: Easter; colorful Bali festival

Local residents of the region wearing traditional costumes make their way to get blessings for men and animals at the St. George Church in Traunstein, Germany, Monday, April 1, 2024. (AP Photo/Matthias Schrader)

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