U.S. Catholic bishops have formally banned so-called “gender-affirming” medical operations and treatments at Catholic hospitals, a sweeping move affecting thousands of facilities across the country.
The vote, held Wednesday in a Baltimore hotel ballroom, codifies what has long been standard practice in the church’s health-care system but now imposes the prohibition with apparent authority.
The revised ethical and religious directives now govern Catholic hospitals and care providers nationwide, impacting more than one in seven patients in the U.S.
In many communities, Catholic hospitals are the only medical centers available, making this a significant policy shift for patients seeking care.
For years, Catholic hospitals have declined to provide gender-transition procedures — whether hormonal, psychological, or surgical. The revisions now bring uniformity to that policy, while still allowing individual bishops discretion over local implementation.
The announcement comes as gender-transition procedures face growing scrutiny at both the state and federal levels.
The Trump administration has aligned with a national movement rejecting gender ideology in medicine, further influencing the debate, Trending Politics reported.
Many Catholic leaders have argued that gender transition surgeries and chemical interventions violate the church’s moral teaching on the integrity of the human body.
Bishop Robert Barron stressed the importance of the decision during the session: “With regard to the gender ideology, I think it’s very important the church makes a strong statement here.”
The new rules also draw directly from earlier guidance from the Vatican and U.S. bishops.
A 2023 doctrinal note stated: “Catholic health care services must not perform interventions, whether surgical or chemical, that aim to transform the sexual characteristics of a human body into those of the opposite sex, or take part in the development of such procedures.”
The Catholic Health Association praised the updated directives, noting that the bishops adopted much of its recommended language.
“Catholic providers will continue to welcome those who seek medical care from us and identify as transgender. We will continue to treat these individuals with dignity and respect, which is consistent with Catholic social teaching and our moral obligation to serve everyone, particularly those who are marginalized,” the group said.
Several bishops voiced support during the final afternoon session, including Oklahoma City Archbishop Paul Coakley, the conference’s newly elected president.
Their backing referenced concerns about fear, anxiety, and vilification within contemporary debates, noting, “We are disturbed when we see among our people a climate of fear and anxiety around questions of profiling and immigration enforcement… We are concerned about the conditions in detention centers and the lack of access to pastoral care.”
“Transgender” medical care in the U.S. has become one of the most debated areas of modern health policy.
Treatments often include social transition, counseling, puberty blockers for adolescents, hormone therapy for adults, and, in some cases, surgical procedures.
Catholic hospitals will no longer perform these interventions, reinforcing the church’s longstanding stance on gender ideology in medicine.
