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Catholic Bishops, ACW, welcome Vatican document on gender


image ICN/JS

image ICN/JS

Source: CCN

The Bishops' Conference of England & Wales and the Association of Catholic Women (ACW) have welcomed the Vatican document 'Male and Female He Created Them' released yesterday by the Congregation for Education. A spokesperson in a statement that the document is "a welcome contribution to developing Catholic thought on gender."

The statement continues: 'The Vatican document complements the Bishops' Conference of England & Wales statement on gender which was issued last year. That statement expressed both deep concern that the ideology of gender is causing confusion and promoted listening and accompaniment. Both documents note the words of Pope Francis that the ideology of gender:

"denies the difference and reciprocity in nature of a man and a woman and envisages a society without sexual difference, thereby eliminating the anthropological basis of the family. This ideology leads to educational programmes and legislative enactments that promote a personal identity and emotional intimacy radically separated from the biological difference between male and female. Consequently, human identity becomes the choice of the individual, one which can also change over time"... It needs to be emphasised that "biological sex and the socio-cultural role of sex (gender) can be distinguished but not separated." (Amoris Laetitia 56)

Both of these texts propose listening and dialogue rather than ideology, as the bishops' statement notes: "We recognise that there are people who do not accept their biological sex. We are concerned about and committed to their pastoral care. Through listening to them we seek to understand their experience more deeply and want to accompany them with compassion, emphasising that they are loved by God and valued in their inherent God-given dignity. There is a place of welcome for everyone in the Catholic Church."

The Association of Catholic Women welcomes the document in the following statement issued this morning:

'The Association of Catholic Women expresses its warmest gratitude to the Congregation for Catholic Education for its statement on the question of gender ideology, Male and Female he created them:towards a path of dialogue on gender theory in education (issued June 10th 2019).

The document, which offers a practical and well-grounded approach, is timely and important. Catholic families and schools will welcome this insightful message, which offers a genuinely helpful intervention in the confusion that surrounds this delicate subject, and shows a way forward. The topic is discussed with charity and an emphasis on human values and human dignity.

We look forward to co-operating with other Catholic organisations in furthering the Church's mission of teaching the truth and meaning of our humanity, created male and female.'


See also: ICN 10 June 2019 Vatican issues document on gender: Yes to dialogue, no to ideologywww.indcatholicnews.com/news/37262

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