“At that time, it was not envisioned that it might be necessary to include specific guidance concerning radical modifications to the human body, such as are widely advocated in practice today for the treatment of those suffering from gender dysphoria,” Flores said.
The doctrinal committee plans to incorporate the guidance into the March doctrinal note into the ERDs with extensive consultation with “bishops, moral theologians, medical ethicists, physicians, and other various stakeholders in the field of Catholic health care,” Flores said. Following that consultation, the draft will be “subject to review, discussion, and ultimately the vote of the whole body of bishops.”
The motion to revise the ERDs passed by a unanimous voice vote after some discussion on the floor as several bishops encouraged clarity on the issue, a pastoral approach, and the need to consult with various experts on the matter.
Cardinal Robert McElroy of San Diego emphasized the issue of maintaining Catholic doctrine while wrestling with “the existential question of those who are suffering from dysphoria.” He asked that the ERDs “incorporate into all the considerations: How may we help people who are wrestling with dysphoria,” saying that the doctrinal note did not address that issue.
The March statement, titled “Doctrinal Note on the Moral Limits to Technological Manipulation of the Human Body,” did emphasize that “the search for solutions to problems of human suffering must continue, but it should be directed toward solutions that truly promote the flourishing of the human person in his or her bodily integrity. As new treatments are developed, they too should be evaluated according to sound moral principles grounded in the good of the human person as a subject with his or her own integrity.”
McElroy encouraged wide consultation on the matter “within the medical communities and with people who are suffering from dysphoria as well.” Cardinal Joseph Tobin of Newark, New Jersey, also called for “a broad consultation, including people who are from the trans community.”
Credit: Source link
