The Vatican on Monday declared gender-affirming surgery and surrogacy as grave threats to human dignity, putting them on par with abortion and euthanasia as practices that violate God's plan for human life. The Vatican's doctrine office issued "Infinite Dignity," a 20-page declaration that's been in the works for five years. After substantial revision in recent months, it was approved March 25 by Pope Francis, per the AP.
- Gender theory: In its most anticipated section, the Vatican repeated its rejection of "gender theory," or the idea that one's gender can be changed. It said God created man and woman as biologically different, separate beings and noted they must not tinker with that plan or try to "make oneself God." "It follows that any sex-change intervention, as a rule, risks threatening the unique dignity the person has received from the moment of conception," the document said.