Vatican Softens Its Views On Gender-Affirming Surgery, Citing ‘Exceptional Situations’?
The Vatican appears to have softened its position on gender-affirming care, publishing a paper of a speech from Cardinal Victor Manuel Fernández, the prefect of the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith, who insisted:
“There are cases outside the norm, such as strong dysphorias that can lead to an unbearable existence or even suicide. These exceptional situations must be evaluated with great care….we don’t want to be cruel and say that we don’t understand people’s conditioning and the deep suffering that exists in some cases of ‘dysphoria’ that manifests itself even from childhood.”
The paper seems to be at odds with previous statements from the Vatican, including the paper “Dignitas Infinita” (“Infinite Dignity”), which was approved by Pope Francis. That missive rejects efforts to deface and obscure “the sexual difference between man and woman” and asserts that “any sex-change intervention, as a rule, risks threatening the unique dignity the person has received from the moment of conception.”
Unless, seemingly, possibly, there are “exceptional situations” that must be examined on a case-to-case basis.