Abstract

Some Catholic institutions have adopted policies of using persons’ preferred gender pronouns. But is this the best response? The use of preferred gender pronouns would constitute formal cooperation in a falsehood about a person because the body is an integral part of the revelation of who the person is both to himself or herself and to the other. Similarly, the principles of toleration and totality do not justify preferred pronoun usage. Pastoral care of transgender persons ought to seek to balance truth and respect of the human person in order to facilitate real friendship which leads to true healing.