Several US religious leaders are speaking out after Catholic bishops voted to ban gender-affirming care in Catholic hospitals. The updated directives cite earlier Vatican and 2023 teachings stating: “Catholic health care services must not perform interventions… that aim to transform the sexual characteristics of a human body.” The Catholic Health Association welcomed this revision and thanked bishops for incorporating its feedback into the directive. However, leaders like Michael Sennett, a trans man who is active in his Massachusetts parish, said: “Catholic teaching upholds the invaluable dignity of every human life.” Coinciding with the bishops’ decision, heads of several major religious denominations stated support for the trans community.
