We cannot abandon transgender Catholics

US CATHOLIC

Jesus would be present to transgender Catholics. Our faith teaches we should, too.

By Father Bryan Massingale | Print | Share

Article Justice

In February I participated in a panel on transgender Catholics at the Los Angeles Religious Education Congress called “Transgender in the Church: One Bread, One Body.” Almost 800 people attended this session, which testifies to the intense interest that this issue raises in both our society and the church.
The main presenters were a young man and young woman, Mateo and Anna. Their powerful stories of their struggles over realizing the deep disjunction between their birth bodies and their inner sense of being a man or a woman were heartbreaking and inspiring. Both also movingly related how their “transition” into their transgender bodies was a faith journey as well. I was struck by their heartfelt conviction that accepting their true gender identities led them to a deeper and more authentic relationship with God. Hearing their stories of pain and triumph was one of the most privileged moments I have had in 33 years of being a priest.

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