Students, teachers, and school personnel are required to use “accurate gender references and language in all circumstances and at all times,” the policy says. The policy says that if a classmate addresses a student who experiences gender dysphoria with a pronoun inconsistent with biological sex, “this behavior shall be addressed immediately with instruction given to refrain from using the incorrect gender-specific pronoun.”
The policy says that if a student makes known that they experience gender dysphoria, they must use the name on their birth certificate. There is a potential for “scandal and confusion of the faithful regarding Church teachings,” if those living a transgender lifestyle publicly serve in the liturgy in any way, the policy says. The policy, therefore, prohibits those individuals from serving as lectors, music ministers, or extraordinary ministers of Holy Communion during Mass at a Catholic school.
The policy says that teachers, administrators, and staff members living a transgender lifestyle, considering transitioning, or currently transitioning, “are not eligible to carry out employed ministry” at the Catholic school, again, citing the “potential for scandal.”
Sponsoring, chartering, or providing a meeting place for any organization “that violates the definition of marriage, sex, or gender” as listed in the policy is also prohibited.
The full policy can be seen here.
An accompanying letter to the policy says, “As Pope Francis notes, we must always respect the sacred dignity of each individual person, but that does not mean the Church must accept the confused notions of gender ideology.
“We must not demean or deny the sincerity and struggle of those who experience same-sex attraction or who feel his/her true gender identity is different from his/her biological sex. Rather, we seek to accompany them on their journey of life, offering them the light of the Gospel as they try to find their way forward.”
Joseph Bukuras is a journalist at the Catholic News Agency. Joe has prior experience working in state and federal government, in non-profits, and Catholic education. He has contributed to an array of publications and his reporting has been cited by leading news sources, including the New York Times and the Washington Post. He holds a bachelor’s degree in political science from the Catholic University of America. He is based out of the Boston area.