Vatican Says Transgender People Can Be Baptized and Become Godparents
Pope Francis, who has made reaching out to L.G.B.T.Q. Catholics a hallmark of his papacy, has made clear that transgender people can be baptized, serve as godparents and be witnesses at church weddings, furthering his vision of a more inclusive church.
The pope’s embrace of transgender people’s participation in the church was revealed in a Vatican document that he approved on Oct.
31 and that was posted online Wednesday. It struck some transgender people and advocates of a more inclusive church as an “important” and encouraging step on a path toward a Roman Catholic Church that is more focused on opening its doors than keeping people out. “Welcoming transgender people more fully to the sacraments is a good step,” Francis DeBernardo, the executive director of New Ways Ministry, a Maryland-based group that advocates for gay Catholics, said in a statement.
The decision “signals Pope Francis’ desire for a pastorally focused approach to L.G.B.T.Q.+ issues is taking hold,” he added.
