Curious Reads: The Trans Catholic Monk
The First Transgender Catholic Hermit Tells His Story and Advocates Inclusion
Hello friend, Liz here.
#1 Today’s top of the fold story is a testimony—that is, a transgender Catholic hermit recently asked the Vatican to reconsider its relationship to gender by telling his story of religious vocation.
Brother Christian Matson is thought to be the first openly transgender person in his position in the Catholic Church, and I found his story deeply moving.
Read “Catholic diocesan hermit approved by Kentucky bishop comes out as transgender“ by Jack Jenkins at Religion News Service
The Highlights
Raised in the PCA (Presbyterian Church of America), Christian Matson transitioned during college, “a step he refers to as a part of his ‘medical history’ rather than a ‘central part of my personal identity.’”
He converted to Catholicism four years after his transition and felt a desire to join the ministry of the Catholic Church—even though he understood that he’d run into obstacles fulfilling his calling due to a 2000 Vatican document that …
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