Church leaders in the Diocese of Lexington, Kentucky, are facing criticism for allowing a female monk, who has been living as a male for years, to continue presenting herself as a man after publicly announcing her transgender identity. Christian Matson, a hermit in the diocese, recently came out as transgender, leading to controversy within the Church. While Bishop John Stowe expressed gratitude for Matson’s witness of discipleship, experts warn that this situation risks sowing confusion among the faithful and goes against clear Church teachings on human bodies.
Theresa Farnan, a member of the Ethics and Public Policy Center, stated that presenting Matson as a male religious contradicts the Church’s stance on transgenderism and risks giving scandal to the faithful. Father Thomas Petri emphasized Pope Francis’s condemnation of trans ideology and questioned how Matson could dissent from Church teaching while living as a hermit.
John Grabowski, a professor of moral theology, highlighted the importance of the body and sex in Catholic teaching, stating that individuals with gender discordance should be treated, not celebrated. The Vatican’s declaration against gender ideology stressed the importance of acknowledging and accepting sexual differences between man and woman.
Experts are urging the Lexington Diocese to revise its statement in line with Church teachings and avoid causing confusion among Catholics. The controversy surrounding Matson’s public announcement has sparked discussions about the intersection of transgender identity and religious life within the Catholic Church.
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