Catholic bishops voted Wednesday to ban “gender-affirming care” in Catholic hospitals in the United States, formalizing the Church’s opposition to hormonal and surgical procedures that aim to change an individual’s outward appearance to resemble the opposite sex.
Bishops met at a Baltimore hotel to vote on revisions to the Church’s “Ethical and Religious Directives.” The group voted overwhelmingly to ban “gender-affirming” surgeries and procedures in Catholic hospitals and health care facilities, officially solidifying the Church’s position.
The Catholic Church previously implemented a similar doctrine on transgender issues and “gender-affirming care” in its 2023 directive “Moral Limits to Technological Manipulation of the Human Body.” Wednesday’s vote formalizes the position detailed in that directive. It is notable that individual bishops must implement the directives within their dioceses.
“Regarding gender ideology, I think it’s very important for the church to make a strong statement here,” Bishop Robert Baron of the Diocese of Winona-Rochester in Minnesota said in the public discussion portion of the vote.
Catholic hospitals or health centers are often the only medical centers in many areas across the United States, and according to the Catholic Health Association, one in seven people is treated in a Catholic hospital every day.
The 2023 doctrine states that “Catholic health services may not perform interventions, whether surgical or chemical, that aim to transform the sexual characteristics of the human body into those of the opposite sex, nor participate in the development of such procedures.” The Vatican also issued guidelines on “gender-affirming care” in 2024.
“Catholic providers will continue to welcome those who seek medical care from us and identify as transgender,” the Catholic Health Association said in a statement. “We will continue to treat these individuals with dignity and respect, consistent with Catholic social teaching and our moral obligation to serve all, especially those who are marginalized.”
While advocates of “gender-affirming care” claim that it helps alleviate the psychological suffering associated with gender dysphoria, especially if administered before the onset of puberty, recent research has questioned the psychological benefits of such procedures. Hormonal and surgical procedures can also have negative physical side effects, such as sterilization, loss of bone density, and cardiovascular and nervous dysfunction.
Also during Wednesday’s meeting, the bishops signed a “special message” on immigration, criticizing the Trump administration’s widespread deportation program.
“We are disturbed to see a climate of fear and anxiety among our people around the issue of profiling and enforcement of immigration laws,” the bishop said in a statement. “We deplore the state of the contemporary debate and the vilification of immigrants. We are concerned about the conditions in detention centers and the lack of access to pastoral care.”