Sex Change And Vocation

[Anastasia13]

Can someone who changes their body to try to be the other, like a man becomes as much of a woman as he can, marry someone of the opposite of the original sex, in the case a woman?

 

And can such a person ever become a priest or monk after an operation?

[CatherineM]

A sex change is never licit unless the issue is one of indeterminate gender. That is viewed as a birth defect, therefore a medical issue. For someone who was born normally as one gender, to attempt to change that gender is considered self-mutilation.

Gender is at the very core of our being. When someone has an issue of gender identity, they carry a very heavy cross and deserve our compassion. However, they cannot be accepted for the priesthood. They cannot marry in the church as their new gender. They are to be welcomed into our parish life just as those who suffer from same sex attraction. Any issues of their participation in communion or volunteer positions within the parish should be dealt with pastorally.