Human Dignity and Gender Issues in Contemporary Society: A Synodal-Sociological Exploration

This chapter sociologically explores how the Catholic Church’s teaching on human dignity can be applied in the field of sex and gender in today’s contemporary world in accordance with Pope Francis’s inductive synodal theology and the Vatican’s declaration on human dignity known as Dignitas Infinita [Infinite Dignity]. It argues that teaching on human dignity is central to the Christian faith for Catholics and must always be observed in resolving moral issues. However, in the spirit of Francis’s inductive theology, the application of this teaching in concrete cases such as the morality of gender-enhancing treatment and sex change requires inductive synodal and sociological assessment to scientifically describe the complex moral situation and motives of actors. The chapter also sociologically re-examines the empirical basis of Genesis on gender complementarity—the root cause of why transgenderism, gender-enhancing treatment, and sex change are generally seen as violative of human dignity.