“A Symbolic Welcome – Vatican Teaches Acceptance: Allowing Transgender People and Babies of Same-Sex Couples to be Baptized

This week the Vatican has enacted a new ruling that allows a certain group of transgender people as well as babies born to same-sex couples to be baptized and participate in the Church. The Congregation for the Doctrine of Faith issued a statement acknowledging that not all transgender individuals qualify for baptism. It noted that the “Law of Christ,” which the Church follows, requires that a person must have an “evident will to be part” of the Christian faith before being baptized. The statement also noted that infants of a same-sex couple can be baptized if jurisdiction is given “in case of a couple who actually do live a stable life in an objectively stable situation.” The new ruling has been met with mixed reactions. The Catholic Church is known for its traditional and conservative stance on social issues, and this ruling is seen as a sign of progress for LGBT believers. This new ruling will also allow transgender people to fully participate in the church, which is historic. Moves such as this from the Vatican have the potential to provide hope and religious inclusion to those who feel rejected and excluded by traditional societies and beliefs. It is a step forward in the fight for full LGBTQ acceptance, and the Church is hoping this ruling will be the beginning of an ongoing conversation about how best to serve an increasingly diverse population.