On Episode 7, we’re joined by Dr. Chris Burgwald, Director of Adult Discipleship and Evangelization for the Diocese of Sioux Falls to discuss HB 1057, known as the Vulnerable Child Protection Act, a bill filed Tuesday that would prohibit medical providers from prescribing puberty-blocking drugs and cross-sex hormones, or conducting mutilating surgeries on a child who has emotional distress surrounding his or her sex. We discuss the Church’s understanding of the human person as created by God. For additional reading on this topic, check out a helpful resource compiled by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, which includes several statements and teaching documents from Pope Francis over the last several years, or this 2019 document published by the Vatican Congregation for Catholic Education.
Faith & Politics
F&P Episode 111: Sex, gender, and surgery: a Catholic doctor’s perspective
Host Michael Pauley is joined by Dr. Alfonso Oliva, a physician specializing in plastic and reconstructive surgery, and a member of the Executive Board of the Catholic Medical Association. Dr. Oliva and Michael discuss the various controversies surrounding the use of drugs and surgeries as “treatment” for persons experiencing gender dysphoria. What are the purported benefits of such procedures, and what are the known complications? Dr. Oliva shares his thoughts concerning the rapid rise in cases of reported gender dysphoria among adolescent females, and the growing trend of administering drugs and performing so-called “gender reassignment” surgeries upon minors in the United States.