Pope Francis has allowed transgender people to become godparents and witnesses at weddings, as well as to be baptized in the Roman Catholic Church.
The Vatican clarifies – in the absence of risks of public scandal. This is stated in an explanatory letter from the doctrinal department, which formally became a response to a number of questions from Brazilian Bishop Jose Negri.
It notes that baptisms involving transgender people who have undergone hormonal treatment or undergone gender reassignment surgery are possible in the absence of risks of public scandal or disorientation of believers. Earlier, Pope Francis called on all Catholic bishops to “show mercy” towards representatives of the LGBT community.
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