Transseksualizm z perspektywy eklezjalnej
Transsexualism from the Ecclesiastical Perspective

Summary/Abstract: The article addresses the issue of transsexualism from the point of view of the fundamental aspects of the life of the ecclesial community. Although the Church has not published an extensive document concerning this topic, it has referred to this problem both directly and indirectly. Sex change has been twice referred to in the context of genderism by Pope Francis and directly with the reference to transsexualism by various dicasteries of the Holy See in several notes. On the other hand, the attitude of the Church toward the discussed problem arises indirectly from its teachings on human sexuality. In general, the Church is of the opinion that formal or surgical sex change does not alter the actual sex of a person.Further, the Author focuses on the problem of transsexualism in terms of baptism, ordination, marriage, and religious vows. From the teachings of the Church it arises that a transsexual person cannot be denied baptism before a sex change. After a sex change, baptism assumes the conversion of such a person, their acceptance of the teachings of the Church on this matter, as well as – bearing in mind social relationships based on truth – their return to their original sex in terms of their identity and sex registered at birth, as it is impossible to restore their original sex after it has been surgically reassigned.The Church is also of the opinion that a transsexual person feeling strong disapproval of his or her phenotypic and genital sex cannot enter into matrimony, be ordained, or make any religious vows. Aside from the previously emphasized decisive importance of the original sex of a transsexual person for these forms of life as well as for social and ecclesial roles, other arguments are involved, such as disapproval of one’s own sex, the inability to control one’s sex, sexual self-identification disorders and lability, narcissistic inclinations, problems with building harmonious interpersonal relationships based on truth, as well as the inability of two persons to physically unite in the moral and canonical context, where either one or both of them have undergone a surgical sex change.

• Details
• Contents