Payam Javan: In a significant doctrinal note titled “Dignitas Infinita: on Human Dignity,” approved by Pope Francis, the Vatican has condemned gender theory, gender-affirming surgery, and surrogacy as practices that reject God’s plan for human life. The 20-page document emphasizes Catholic teachings on social and moral issues and highlights concerns over the creation of new rights based on sex and gender.

The Vatican reaffirms the importance of acknowledging and accepting the differences between men and women, rejecting ideologies that seek to eliminate sexual differences. It asserts that attempts to change one’s gender through surgery threaten the unique dignity inherent in every person.

Furthermore, the document denounces surrogacy as a practice that demeans the worth of a child, condemning it as a violation of the dignity of both the child and the woman involved, regardless of whether she was coerced or chose to participate.

While some members of the LGBTQ community within the Catholic Church have criticized the document as harmful and outdated, others have welcomed its condemnation of legislation and violence against LGBTQ individuals.

Pope Francis has previously emphasized the importance of reaching out to LGBTQ people while also condemning what he views as the dangerous ideology of gender theory, which seeks to erase the God-given differences between men and women.