Transgender believers can be baptized in the Catholic Church as long as it does not cause “scandal” or “confusion”, the Vatican said on Wednesday, clarifying a particularly sensitive area of ​​doctrine, AFP reported.

Similarly, the Committee on the Doctrine of the Faith did not object to the baptism of children of same-sex couples, adopted or born to surrogate mothers.

The comments were made in a document in response to questions from a Brazilian bishop drafted on October 31 but only now made public.

The document was supported by Pope Francis, who has repeatedly stated that the Church should be open to all, including LGBTQ believers.

At the same time, he stated that he considers homosexuality “a sin, like any sexual act outside of marriage.”

Catholic teaching defines marriage as a union between a man and a woman for the purpose of having children.

In the document, the committee notes that transsexual believers “can receive baptism under the same conditions as other believers, unless there is a situation in which there is a risk of causing public scandal or uncertainty among believers.”

The same advice applies to anyone who has had hormone treatment and/or gender reassignment surgery, the release said.

When asked whether a same-sex couple could be considered the parents of a child to be baptized, the answer was that there must be a “reasonable hope” that the child would be educated in the Catholic religion.