WASHINGTON—Following the USCCB General Assembly in
November 2017, a group of ecumenical and interfaith partners gathered with
bishops of the Subcommittee for the Promotion and Defense of Marriage to
discuss gender ideology. As a result of this discussion, faith leaders today
issued an open letter entitled “Created Male and Female”.

Archbishop Charles Chaput, O.F.M. Cap. of Philadelphia,
chairman of the USCCB Committee on Laity, Marriage, Family Life and Youth,
Bishop James Conley of Lincoln, chairman of the Subcommittee for the Promotion
and Defense of Marriage, Archbishop Joseph E. Kurtz of Louisville, chairman of
the Committee for Religious Liberty, and Bishop Joseph
C. Bambera of Scranton, chairman of the Committee on Ecumenical and
Interreligious Affairs signed the letter.

“We hope this letter communicates to the public our
shared understanding of the goodness of the creation of humanity as male or
female and underscores our commitment to service of this truth with both
clarity and compassion,” said Bishop Conley.

The religious leaders stressed the importance of
acknowledging the reality of sexual identity, noting, “Children especially are
harmed when they are told that they can ‘change’ their sex or, further, given
hormones that will affect their development and possibly render them infertile
as adults. Parents deserve better guidance on these important decisions, and we
urge our medical institutions to honor the basic medical principle of ‘first,
do no harm.'”

The leaders close with a hope: “We hope for renewed
appreciation of the beauty of sexual difference in our culture and for
authentic support of those who experience conflict with their God-given sexual
identity.”

The letter is available at: https://www.usccb.org/issues-and-action/marriage-and-family/marriage/promotion-and-defense-of-marriage/created-male-and-female.cfm and follows three previous open
letters: “The Protection of Marriage: A Shared Commitment,” issued December 6,
2010,
“Marriage and Religious Freedom: Fundamental Goods That Stand or
Fall Together,” issued January 12, 2012, and “The Defense of Marriage and the
Right of Religious Freedom: Reaffirming a Shared Witness,” issued on
April 23, 2015, which are available at https://www.usccb.org/issues-and-action/marriage-and-family/marriage/promotion-and-defense-of-marriage/ecumenical-and-interreligious-activities.cfm.

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Keywords: U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, USCCB, Archbishop
Charles J. Chaput, O.F.M. Cap., Bishop James D. Conley, Archbishop Joseph E.
Kurtz, Bishop Joseph C. Bambera, Committee on Laity, Marriage, Family Life and
Youth, Subcommittee for the Promotion and Defense of Marriage, Committee for
Religious Liberty, Committee on Ecumenical and Interreligious Affairs, marriage,
religious liberty, gender ideology

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202-541-3200

Source:: United States Conference of Catholic Bishops