Saturday, April 13, 2024

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

Lead story

Cardinal Victor Manuel Fernandez speaks into a microphone while holding up the "Infinite Dignity" document.

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

A portrait of David Crary, Religion News Director at The Associated Press.
 

Religion News

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

'The beauty is that we're not expected to commit cultural apostasy when we convert to Islam.' By Fiona André/Religion News Service

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

Donald Trump makes clear he won’t be leading the push for a federal abortion ban as he vies for his second term as president. Some anti-abortion religious leaders criticized his approach; others gave thanks for his past anti-abortion wins and vowed to keep pressing for federal restrictions. By Holly Meyer and Tiffany Stanley/The Associated Press

An Argentine judge rules that 20 cloistered nuns had suffered abuse for more than two decades at the hands of high-ranking clergy in the country’s conservative north, and ordered the accused archbishop and church officials to undergo psychological treatment and training in gender discrimination. By Almudena Calatrava/The Associated Press

A group of Muslim people bow and perform an Eid al-Fitr prayer. A small child is standing amongst the crowd.

Muslims worldwide celebrate Eid al-Fitr, but the festivities are marred by the war in Gaza 

Muslims around the world celebrated the Eid al-Fitr holida, marking the end of the Islamic holy month with family reunions, new clothes and sweet treats. But the celebrations were overshadowed by the worsening humanitarian crisis in the Gaza Strip and Israel’s expected offensive in the city of Rafah. By Niniek Karmini/The Associated Press

Catholic bishops silent as Ascension hospital system shrinks maternity care

The bishops have urged more support for mothers and families, even as Ascension, one of the largest Catholic health care providers in the US, has been closing labor and delivery units at its hospitals. By Aleja Hertzler-McCain/Religion News Service

 

Commentary and Analysis

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

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

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

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

 
A procession of residents in Traunstein, Germany wear colorful traditional costumes.

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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