On the USCCB's revised “ethical and religious directives" for catholic hospitals
Summary
This article gives a close account of the revisions accedpted at the plenary assembly of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) and places them within the broader priorities of the bishops’ meeting. New directive 28 prohibits "medical interventions, whether surgical, hormonal, or genetic, that aim... to transform sexual characteristics of a himan body into those of the opposite sex..." Additionally, directive 29 serves as a reminder to Catholic health care faiclities that their vocation is caring for the ill, including the "suffering of those who expereince gender dysphoria." In order to ensure this directive cannot be used as a loophole to providing gender affirming care, the directive explicitly limits to "employing only those means taht reflect the fundamental order of the human body.
Relevance
This piece offers commentary on the USCCB's newly revised ethical guidance for Catholic-Affiliated hospitals, placing the revisions within the wider context of the bishops' deliberations and priorities.