U.S. Catholic Bishops Ban Gender Transition Treatments in Catholic Hospitals.

WHAT HAPPENED: U.S. Catholic bishops voted to ban gender transition treatments in Catholic hospitals, formalizing a yearslong process to address transgender treatment options.

WHO WAS INVOLVED: U.S. Catholic bishops, Catholic healthcare providers, Bishop Robert Barron, and the Catholic Health Association.

WHEN & WHERE: November 12, during a meeting in Baltimore, Maryland.

KEY QUOTE: “With regard to the gender ideology, I think it’s very important the church makes a strong statement here.” – Bishop Robert Barron

IMPACT: Catholic hospitals serving one in seven U.S. patients will now adhere to these revised directives.

U.S. Roman Catholic bishops gathered in Baltimore, Maryland, on Wednesday and voted to ban gender transition procedures in Catholic-run hospitals across the nation. The vote approved revisions to the Church’s healthcare directives, finalizing years of discussion about how Catholic institutions should handle gender-related treatments. The new rules affect thousands of hospitals and healthcare providers nationwide, many of which already do not provide transition-related care such as hormone therapy, surgeries, or psychological interventions.

Bishop Robert Barron of the Winona-Rochester diocese in Minnesota said during the meeting, “With regard to the gender ideology, I think it’s very important the Church makes a strong statement here.” The Catholic Health Association (CHA), representing numerous Catholic hospitals, thanked the bishops for incorporating their feedback and said that Catholic providers would continue to treat transgender patients “with dignity and respect, consistent with Catholic social teachings.”

The revised directives are consistent with previous Vatican guidance and a 2023 doctrinal note titled “Moral Limits to the Technological Manipulation of the Human Body.” That document instructs Catholic healthcare providers not to perform medical interventions intended to alter a person’s sexual characteristics. Catholic hospitals treat more than one in seven patients in the United States, according to the CHA, and in some regions, they are the only available medical facilities.

The decision comes as debates over gender transition procedures continue nationwide. Some research, including large-scale analyses published in recent years, suggests that surgical and hormonal interventions do not reliably improve long-term mental health outcomes for people who believe they are transgender. Other studies, such as those published in medical journals like JAMA Surgery, present more mixed findings, with some showing no measurable reduction in suicidal ideation or depression after surgery.

The policy change also comes amid broader political and legal battles over gender-related care. Earlier this year, New York Attorney General Letitia James reminded hospitals in her state that refusing services based on gender identity violates anti-discrimination laws. Her letter followed an executive order from President Donald J. Trump instructing federal agencies to stop funding “the transition of a child from one sex to another.” Several hospitals subsequently suspended youth transition treatments, including puberty blockers and hormone therapy.

Progressive religious leaders from other Christian denominations and other faiths have issued statements supporting transgenders, asserting that their traditions affirm a full spectrum of gender identities.

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