St. Louis, Mo., May 4, 2023 / 08:00 am
Archbishop Paul Coakley of Oklahoma City in an interview this week called for responding to those experiencing gender dysphoria with empathy but without compromising on the reality of God’s creation of humanity as male and female.
“We can show love and compassion and concern as a parent, as a pastor, as a friend, without jettisoning our commitment to the truth,” Coakley told Montse Alvarado of EWTN News In Depth.
“I think we can show affection and tenderness and compassion without succumbing to the pressure and that parents often feel subjected to by a young person, a child whom they love very much, who is obviously suffering.”
Coakley released a pastoral letter April 30 on the topic titled “On the Unity of the Body and Soul: Accompanying Those Experiencing Gender Dysphoria.” Coakley said the letter, which was in the works for several months, came in response to questions from some Catholic school principals in his diocese who have faced questions about how to respond to, for example, children in Catholic schools wishing to identify as a different gender.