Vermont Bishop speaks on accepting transgender people

 The newly installed bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Burlington was asked in an interview “Is there any plan to reach out to transgender persons who no longer feel welcome at Church?”

Bishop Christopher Coyne’s response was as follows:

Well I’m sorry that that’s happened because I see no reason why transgender people would not be welcome in church. I think, there’s more and more evidence coming forward that a lot of this is biological. That it’s not just something that a person makes as a kind of fashionable choice or cultural choice, but that these, that transgender people are really struggling with the idea of gender identity, and that they have struggled with it for years—and that’s through no fault of their own. And so there’s no fault to be made, actually. This is who they are. Everyone is God’s creatures. And I would invite anyone to come to the table, and I would hope that none of my priests, most especially myself, would ever say anything that would be hurtful to transgender folk.

At times, I have to personally say, at times I have kind of been uncomfortable because I just don’t know how to say “he or she” … it’s just getting used to it, it’s not because I feel any kind of personal animosity or anthing – or that there is anything wrong – it’s just more what I’ve been raised in. So, if I ever say anything that some consider insensitive or hurtful, I would hope they would call me on it and say, you know, you got to be more careful about your language.

Pope Francis just met with a transgender [person]… and that to me just shows that even the Pope himself is welcoming of all people of good will.

Listen to the full interview here.