The head of the Vatican's doctrine office stated on Monday that the Vatican is against the criminalisation of homosexuality, as it is practiced in many nations with the backing of Catholic organisations. According to news agency Reuters, Cardinal Victor Manuel Fernandez presented a publication reaffirming the Vatican's stance against sex changes, gender theory, and surrogate parenthood.
He referred to laws that punish homosexuality as "a big problem" and said: "of course, we are not in favour of criminalisation."
Fernandez, a liberal theologian appointed by Pope Francis to lead the Vatican's Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith less than a year ago, expressed dismay at the fact that some Catholics endorse laws targeting homosexuality. He described it as "painful" to witness such support.
Vatican Reaffirms Opposition To Sex Changes, Abortion, Euthanasia
The Vatican reaffirmed its opposition to sex changes, gender theory, surrogate parenthood, abortion, and euthanasia on Monday, four months after supporting blessings for same-sex couples. The statement came amidst a backdrop of conservative pushback, particularly in Africa, against the Vatican's previous declaration on LGBT issues, Reuters reported.
The release of "Dignitas Infinita" (Infinite Dignity), a 20-page document, reiterated the Church's stance on various issues concerning human dignity. While there was no direct indication that the new text was a response to the controversies over same-sex blessings, it has been in the making for five years and underwent extensive revisions.
Pope Francis approved the document last month after requesting that it also address concerns such as poverty, the situation of migrants, violence against women, human trafficking, and war. Cardinal Victor Manuel Fernandez, the head of the Vatican's doctrinal office (DDF), clarified that the new document encompassed a wide range of themes.
Vatican On Surrogate Parenthood
The declaration condemned surrogate parenthood, describing it as a violation of the dignity of both the surrogate mother and the child. It cited Pope Francis' previous remarks, denouncing surrogate parenting as "despicable" and calling for a global ban, a Reuters report stated.
On gender theory, the Vatican stated that desires for personal self-determination amounted to a challenge to divine authority. The document emphasised that any intervention aimed at changing one's sex posed a risk to the unique dignity inherent in every individual.
While acknowledging the possibility of surgery to address genital abnormalities, the Vatican clarified that such procedures did not constitute a sex change as intended by the declaration, the report stated.
Monday's declaration also addressed issues such as sexual abuse, cyberbullying, and online abuse, categorising them as threats to human dignity.
Criminalisation Of Homosexuality Is Problem: Pope Francis
In February 2023, Pope Francis, following a trip to Africa where same-sex relationships are often stigmatised, denounced laws that criminalise LGBT individuals, labeling them as both sinful and unjust. He emphasised God's love and support for individuals with same-sex attraction, Reuters reported. "The criminalisation of homosexuality is a problem that cannot be ignored," the pope stated, citing undisclosed statistics indicating that approximately 50 countries have laws that criminalise LGBT individuals in various forms, with about 10 of them even imposing the death penalty.