Catholic Medical Association
Southern Nebraska Register
The Catholic Medical Association agrees with findings of countries such as Great Britain, Sweden, Finland, Denmark and France—once leaders in the gender ideology movement that have now changed course
At the Catholic Medical Association’s 92nd annual educational conference in Phoenix Sept. 7-9, CMA released its anticipated position paper, “The Ideology of Gender Harms Children,” in the presence of more than 700 attendees.
“Reviewing the evidence for purported treatments for gender dysphoria over the past year, we found the American medical establishment speaking from a place of eminence-based medicine rather than evidence-based medicine,” said CMA President Dr. Craig Treptow. “The ideology of gender is causing significant harm to children and adolescents. We speak up again now to prevent further harm to those children and to give courage to those who are looking for a voice in medicine.”
Agreeing with the findings of countries such as Great Britain, Sweden, Finland, Denmark and France –– once leaders in the gender ideology movement that have now changed course –– CMA believes this attempt to address surgically and with hormones what should be treated psychiatrically with counseling is not authentic health care.
“The paper confirms the irrefutable reality of human biology, and contrasts with current cultural trends that ignore that reality,” said Dr. Greg Burke, ethics committee co-chair, the panel that formulated the position paper. “CMA’s position offers a much more hopeful and loving approach to children suffering from gender dysphoria.”
Further, CMA said it rejects the claim that children with gender dysphoria will commit suicide if they are not quickly affirmed and set on the path of sex reassignment. The association said this simplistic assertion is not scientifically supported. Numerous other evidence-based treatment modalities are equally if not more effective, especially considering the documented comorbidities that can exist for these children.
“Such health-affirming treatments do not permanently mutilate a precious young human person,” said Ethics Committee Co-Chair Marie Hilliard, PhD, RN. “Gender affirming care is not health-affirming care, and no health care professional, committed to the Hippocratic first principle ‘to do no harm,’ should be forced to violate this sacred oath.”
CMA calls on other medical associations that promote the practice of sex reassignment of children with gender dysphoria to reverse their decision. Additionally, CMA calls for the protection of conscience rights for physicians and health care professionals who wish to promote the best interest of their patients. As with all conflicts in medical ethics, the well-formed conscience of a clinician should never be coerced to violate the clinician’s medical and moral judgement in the care of a patient.
Bishop James Conley of the Catholic Diocese of Lincoln serves as the national episcopal advisor for the CMA. While, as advisor, Bishop Conley did not have a role in the development of the position paper, he did review it before its release.
He said he was glad the paper took into consideration the evidence-based studies in Europe “that have been largely ignored here in the United States.” He said several countries “are all beginning to back away from so-called gender ‘affirming’ care because of the long-term pain, suffering and irreversible harm gender transitioning has caused over the past 20 to 30 years, particularly to children and adolescents.”
The Catholic Church has been involved in healthcare, ministry and education since apostolic times, the bishop pointed out.
“The first hospitals and universities were started by the Catholic Church, which has always had a very keen interest in the well-being and long-term flourishing of the human person, body, mind and spirit,” he said. “Jesus Christ was both a healer and a teacher. These two ministries flow directly from Jesus Christ himself. This is why the Catholic Church has always been very involved in medical matters.”
Father Christopher Kubat also attended the conference. Father Kubat, pastor of St. Andrew Parish in Tecumseh and St. Mary Parish in St Mary, is the national chaplain of the CMA. Prior to entering the seminary, Father Kubat was a medical doctor in Milwaukee.
Others among the Nebraska contingent of conference attendees were Marian Sisters of the Diocese of Lincoln. Sister Faustina is a doctor of pharmacy and Sister Joan Kolbe is a registered nurse.
The position paper is available at https://www.cathmed.org/resources/the-ideology-of-gender-harms-children/.
