Following the publication of the Vatican earlier this month, the bishops of England and Wales showed their support in rejecting “gender theories” and the idea that one’s gender can be changed. However, they emphasised in a press release that the letter is a “pastoral reflection” rather than a “doctrinal statement”. The Vatican’s document highlights that God created man and woman as biologically different, separate beings, and they must not change that plan or try to “make oneself God”. The publication also reads: “It follows that any sex-change intervention, as a rule, risks threatening the unique dignity the person has received from the moment of conception”.

The pastoral letter created by the bishops in the UK is called Woven by the Lord: A Pastoral Reflection on Gender.

David Oakley, Bishop of Northampton, stated: “We have published this document because we know that those working in pastoral settings can find this issue complex. It is also an issue that needs to be handled sensitively. Accompaniment is crucial to the journey of faith, and we wish to emphasise that everyone is welcome in the Church. It is vital that as followers of Christ, we imitate the boundless mercy and compassion of God as we deal with the complexity of another’s life. But this needs to be done with a clear understanding of the Catholic vision and understanding of the human person and a holistic view of human sexuality.”

The pastoral letter reads: “There are some children and young people who experience gender incongruence/dysphoria. Pastoral accompaniment must flow from an acceptance and celebration of the body as created, respect for parents as primary educators and uphold best practice in terms of safeguarding principles. Medical intervention for children should not be supported. Social ‘transition’ can have a formative effect on a child’s development, and this should be avoided with young children.”