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Hundreds of Catholic schools in Australia have been asked not to help children undertake gender transition.
In a rare intervention, Australia’s Catholic bishops told the schools that sex is not a social construct but a “physical, biological reality.”
Society has “widely adopted the belief that each person’s innermost concept of themselves determines their gender identity,” the bishops said.
These changes are “in conflict with the Catholic understanding of creation, in which every person is created good and is loved unconditionally” as they are.
For most children and adolescents, gender incongruence is a psychological condition. They will pass safely and naturally through this with supportive psychological care, the bishops explained.
Helping children to transition genders isn’t necessary, they say.
They suggest teachers use a ‘biopsychosocial model’ when offering support.
The model is based on research that found a strong relationship between “childhood gender incongruence and family dynamics” that can be quelled with psychological support for both the child and their family.
Melbourne Archbishop Peter Comensoli says the guidance document elevated the dignity of every person rather than “defining that person by any single characteristic”.
Pastoral care initiatives that are “in conflict with the generosity of the Christian vision” are to be “respectfully avoided”.
These include concepts that say gender is arbitrarily assigned at birth, it is fluid and is separate from biological sex.
Comensoli said Catholic schools adhered to the “foundational principle that each person is created in the image and likeness of God, and is loved by God.
“That principle guides this document, which we offer to our schools to support them in walking compassionately alongside each student we are invited to educate,” he said.
The document is aimed at providing support and care to students. It makes no recommendations that would result in students being expelled because of their gender identity.
Rather, it’s about encouraging teenagers not to make life-changing decisions when they’re too young to know exactly what they’re doing, or without rigorous and multi-disciplinary medical assessments.
Catholic schools are encouraged to cater to the needs of students experiencing gender incongruence, a term recommended for use by educators over the term “transgender”.
The bishops’ document also recommends they provide unisex toilets or change rooms not aligned to biological sex, however.
In addition, it proposes “flexibility with uniform expectations” to cater for student diversity.
The guidance comes amid public debate surrounding the ability of transgender students to participate in school sports.
The National Catholic Education Commission notes many medical professionals are challenging the gender-affirmative approach. They support the biopsychosocial approach, which is less invasive, holistic and more closely aligned with a Catholic worldview.
“It remains critical that our Catholic schools can speak about the Church’s teachings on these matters in an informed way, underpinned by the principles of respect and human dignity,” the National Commission says.
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