Pope Francis has strongly criticized sex-change surgeries, surrogacy, and abortions, labeling them as serious violations of human dignity.
In a newly released statement from the Vatican on Monday, the leader of the Catholic Church condemned gender reassignment and what he termed as “gender theory” as affronts to the inherent dignity bestowed upon individuals by God.
“Any intervention for sex-change, in general, risks undermining the unique dignity inherent in every person from the moment of conception,” stated Pope Francis.
According to the document, every human being, regardless of their stage of development, holds a sacred and inviolable status.
The act of terminating a pregnancy, the statement contends, amounts to a denial of dignity to the “most vulnerable” beings.
The Vatican’s latest declaration draws a parallel between abortion and surrogacy, where a woman carries a child on behalf of another person and then relinquishes parental rights after birth.
The statement argues that in such cases, the child is reduced to a mere object, and the dignity of the woman is violated for the sake of financial gain.
The Vatican has taken a firm stance against gender reassignment as an institution.
The declaration, titled “Dignitas Infinita” (infinite dignity), was released following years of preparation by the Vatican Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith, under the guidance of Cardinal Victor Manuel Fernández, and has been previously approved by Pope Francis.
The topics addressed in the document also include war, poverty, migration, human trafficking, and violence against women.