The bishops of the Antilles Episcopal Conference have published a comprehensive pastoral guide to help Catholic schools, parishes, catechists, and families address the challenges posed by gender ideology. The document, one of the most complete issued in recent years by an episcopal conference on this matter, combines a solid doctrinal exposition with practical guidelines to respond to situations increasingly common in educational and pastoral life.

The pastoral letter, titled Pastoral Letter on Sexual and Gender Identity, starts from the conviction that the Church is called to respond "with truth and charity" to a cultural context that presents human identity as fluid and self-determined. In response, the bishops recall that "identity is received, not invented; the body has meaning, it is not malleable," and warn that separating personal identity from bodily reality leads to a mistaken understanding of the human person.

"Sex is not a spectrum"

The bishops recall Catholic doctrine on sexual difference, drawing on both Christian anthropology and biological data.

"Sex is not a spectrum. It is a binary reality, inscribed in our nature, affirmed by biology, and upheld by faith"

The letter adds that "there is no third gamete nor a spectrum of possible gametes" and notes that intersex conditions, while requiring appropriate medical and pastoral accompaniment, "do not constitute a third sex."

The document insists that the human being was created "male and female" and that the body is not a secondary element of personal identity. "The body is not a prison from which the self must escape, but an expression of the gift received from God," the prelates emphasize.

A guide for schools, parishes, and families

Far from limiting itself to stating doctrinal principles, the letter offers concrete guidelines for addressing situations already arising in schools, parishes, and catechetical groups.

The bishops urge Catholic schools to "resist any curriculum or external influence that promotes gender ideology" and call for forming students in a Christian vision of the person. They also defend parents’ right to educate their children according to their convictions and demand protection for minors from any form of premature social or medical transition.

Among the recommendations is also the use of language. The document calls for avoiding expressions that, in the bishops’ view, incorporate the assumptions of gender ideology.

"Avoid and reject terminology that affirms gender ideology, for example ‘sex assigned at birth,’ ‘gender identity’ separate from sex, and ‘cisgender’, and always use language that affirms biological truth and the unity of the human person," the guide states.

How to respond when a student identifies as trans or non-binary

The episcopal conference’s publication includes an extensive appendix of real-life situations addressed to teachers, catechists, and pastoral agents.

When a female student states, "I think I’m a boy, not a girl," the proposed response invites listening with respect, acknowledging any suffering she may be experiencing, and accompanying her with closeness, but without reinforcing an identity different from her biological sex. "Do not refer to her with male pronouns or a new name, as that would reinforce the confusion," the bishops advise.

In another scenario, a student communicates that he no longer considers himself either male or female. The guide recommends avoiding "invented pronouns or labels" and gently reminding that "each of us has been created male or female. That is something sacred; it is not something we invent."

The document also addresses the case of a teacher required to use pronouns chosen by a student. In that situation, it proposes explaining that "using inaccurate pronouns affirms a false identity, something I cannot do in conscience" and, when possible, addressing the student by name to avoid unnecessary conflict.

The bishops thus emphasize that it is possible to combine respect and welcome for each person with fidelity to the truth about human nature, offering concrete pastoral criteria for addressing issues that increasingly arise in the life of the Church.

A call to intervene in the public debate as well

The letter does not limit these guidelines to the ecclesial sphere. The bishops explicitly encourage parents, educators, healthcare professionals, and policymakers to participate in the public debate to defend a Christian vision of the person and the family.

"Our voice must not remain within the sanctuary. It must reach the halls of power," they state. Therefore, they urge the promotion of laws and policies that protect the dignity of every person, educational freedom, and parents’ rights, while rejecting initiatives inspired by gender ideology.

Published on July 26, the feast of Saints Joachim and Anne, the pastoral letter constitutes one of the most complete and clear episcopal responses issued to date on sexual identity and gender ideology. In addition to reaffirming Catholic doctrine, it offers concrete criteria for education, pastoral care, healthcare, and the presence of Catholics in the public debate.