While the Church maintains that no one is forced to apply for a priesthood position, critics argue that the policy shift effectively eliminates the ability of future priests to refuse such ceremonies on the basis of personal faith convictions.

The debate has been ongoing for years, but it gained fresh intensity in January when the Church published the legal findings. The review concluded that prioritizing non-discrimination over religious objections aligns with European court rulings on equality. The Church of Sweden could, therefore, consider the willingness to perform same-sex marriages as an employment requirement without violating religious freedom protections.

Not everyone is convinced. Kjell Lejon, professor of Church History and editor-in-chief of «Svensk Pastoraltidskrift» (Swedish Pastoral Journal), has openly criticized the study, arguing that it is ideologically biased. He commissioned a second independent legal review, which reached the opposite conclusion: that enforcing same-sex marriage as a job requirement would, in fact, be discriminatory.

The second report, conducted by legal experts Percy Bratt and Joakim Lundqvist, asserts that «priests of the Church of Sweden cannot be forced to marry couples against their personal convictions about what is right.» Furthermore, it argues that applying different standards to new priests versus those already ordained creates an unjustifiable distinction. If officiating same-sex marriages were made universally mandatory, it could violate protections for religious beliefs.

The controversy extends beyond legal arguments and touches on deep theological concerns. Historically, the Church of Sweden transitioned from blessing same-sex couples to officiating their marriages. Now, it appears poised to make officiating such unions a requirement for newly ordained clergy.

Lejon warns that this trajectory disregards theological, ecclesiastical, and ecumenical complexities, reducing the issue to a matter of employment policy rather than faith doctrine. In «Svensk Pastoraltidskrift», he writes, «The investigation fails to consider the wider implications of making same-sex marriage an absolute requirement for priests. It is not grounded in the Church’s doctrinal framework but rather in a labor-law argument with a specific ideological starting point.»

Despite these objections, a Church board meeting in 2023 affirmed that same-sex marriages should be performed «with joy and free will.» However, even among supporters of LGBTQ inclusion, there are concerns about the impact of turning this principle into an obligation rather than a voluntary expression of faith.

This debate comes at a time when Sweden is facing broader legal and societal discussions about religious freedom. The Swedish Evangelical Alliance (SEA) has raised concerns that religious liberties are being eroded, particularly in cases where churches that hold conservative views risk financial penalties or marginalization.

In recent years, Swedish authorities have cut funding to churches deemed to hold «sectarian» views. A Pentecostal church in Västerås was officially labeled a sect, while another congregation, Furuhöjdskyrkan, lost partial funding after its pastor delivered a sermon critical of LGBTQ issues.

The SEA has called for the UN Human Rights Council to review Sweden’s treatment of religious groups, arguing that national policies increasingly undermine religious freedom. The last such review took place in 2020, and the organization is pushing for another examination in response to growing legal pressures on churches.

The Church has not yet made a final decision on whether it will formally adopt mandatory same-sex marriage ceremonies for all future priests. However, the direction appears clear: priests who are unwilling to officiate such weddings may soon find themselves unable to be ordained in Sweden’s largest Christian denomination.

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(ZENIT News – Center for Family and Human Rights / New York, 03.26.2025).- Feminists likely paid by Western governments booed when U.S. and Argentinian diplomats defended women’s rights and opposed gender ideology at the end of the annual UN conference on women’s issues March 21. They cheered for an EU statement in favor gender ideology instead.

The boos erupted after a U.S. diplomat said it was “impossible” for the U.S. to support a political declaration adopted by the UN Commission on the Status of Women because it contained “gender” terminology. He said the U.S. could only support “clear and accurate language that women are biologically female, and men are biologically male.”

The boos were repeated when an Argentinian representative said her country interpreted “gender in the sense of the Rome Statute,” a reference to the biological binary of man-woman. Both delegations also objected to the inclusion of language on “intersecting forms of discrimination” widely understood to be an endorsement of “woke” or DEI policies.

The act of disrespect by representatives of feminist non-governmental organizations was likely coordinated.  And it was the final act of defiance in a long two week conference that saw repeated sleights and veiled attacks against the Trump administration from foreign diplomats and UN officials, including declarations that the Trump administration is “fascist” and a threat to “gender equality.” The Trump administration’s decision to stop funding gender ideology and DEI was a shadow hanging over the commission all week. Government funding for nongovernmental organizations is the lifeblood of the feminist movement. Feminist organizations complained repeatedly that they were having to wind down programs and let go of staff.

The attacks showed just how difficult it will be for Trump and other delegations to disentangle the United Nations from gender ideology and radical abortion positions. It also shows that their biggest obstacle will be the European Union and other Western governments who continue to fund gender ideology promotion internationally to the tune of billions every year.

The worst diplomatic affront to the U.S. at the commission took place when the bureau of the commission, led by of Saudi Arabia, decided to ignore the Trump administration’s objections to gender language in the last days of negotiations earlier this month. The bureau sent a letter to members of the commission telling them they would ignore the objections of the U.S. delegation because it was a “non-member” of the commission this year.

This is very unusual because the negotiations of the commission are open to all states equally and is tasked with reaching unanimously. Moreover, the U.S. is the largest donor to the UN system. The fact that there is no sitting U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations because Elise Stefanik’s (R-NY) appointment at the UN has been delayed, likely contributed to the diplomatic sleight.

The U.S. and Argentine statements against gender ideology were made earlier today when all delegations were invited to express their misgivings about the final agreement.

Nordic countries, Canada, and Latin American nations complained that the draft did not include abortion-related terms “sexual and reproductive health and reproductive rights.”

Several delegations, including the Holy See, Argentina, Mali, Nigeria and Cameroon complained that the final agreement of the commission did not do enough to promote the importance of motherhood, especially in the context of the family.

Despite these disagreements, Sima Bahous, who leads the UN agency for Women’s issues, UN Women, was relieved that the commission reached an agreement at all. She said the commission proved that it was “still a place of consensus.” She also recommitted to her agency promoting woke DEI policies under the label of “intersecting” forms of discrimination, directly contradicting the reservations expressed by the United States and Argentina.

A person familiar with conversations between UN officials and a delegation from the EU Parliament at this year’s commission told the Friday Fax that UN agencies did not seem concerned with Trump’s opposition to gender ideology. The UN officials told the parliamentarians that UN agencies could continue to promote their controversial agenda regardless of whether the declaration included terms like “sexual and reproductive health.”

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(ZENIT News / New York, 03.26.2025).- The U.S. Mission to the United Nations sponsored an event on the dangers of gender ideology. The event was co-sponsored by C-Fam, publisher of the Friday Fax, and the Heritage Foundation. The panel was significant because it was the first ever U.S. event against gender ideology at the UN.

“It is an honor to address this important gathering today on the critical issue of protecting women and families from the impact of gender ideology,” said the acting U.S. Representative to the Economic and Social Council, Jonathan Shrier. The career diplomat oversees the U.S. Mission’s work on social issues while Trump’s nominee as UN ambassador, Elise Stefanik, awaits to be confirmed by the U.S. Senate.

In an official statement, Shrier emphasized that the Trump administration is committed to protecting “the great American values of family, truth, well-being, and freedom” and opposing policies that “seek to erase the category of sex and the unique characteristics that define women as female and men as male” including by “preserving the integrity of women’s spaces, from our schools to our sports, and ensuring that biological males do not infringe upon the rights of women and girls.”

He also said the U.S. will oppose “the promotion of gender ideology in educational settings.” Shrier described ongoing “tough negotiations” on gender ideology at the United Nation and pledged to vote against resolutions “if necessary, to advance President Trump’s America First foreign policy.”

Following the U.S. Statement, Jay Richards, Ph.D., of the Heritage Foundation described gender ideology as an unprecedented movement in human history that denies the category of sex as an “observable” characteristic. The Heritage Foundation also co-sponsored the event, which took place during the annual UN Commission on the Status of Women, the largest feminist gathering at UN headquarters in New York.

Detransitioner Maia Poet said she was shaken into confronting the reality of her womanhood by the October 7, 2023, terrorist attacks by Hamas in Israel. She lived as a boy from the age of 12 despite opposition from her parents. When the sirens started blaring during the attacks on October 7, 2023, Maia said she found herself with having to choose between binding her breasts or making it to safety.  Now a passionate advocate to protect young people from harmful trans ideology Maia said, “What started as a medical experiment confined to a few European Hospitals nearly a century ago has morphed into a widespread ideological assault on reality.”

Erin Friday, a mother who successfully fought to rescue her daughter from transgender ideology, described how her daughter was drawn into the transgender movement by the public school system and the challenges she faced through her ordeal. Friday, president of a parent advocacy group “Our Duty”, said she discovered how her daughter had been exposed to transgender ideology and then affirmed by teachers without her ever knowing about it.

Stefano Gennarini, C-Fam’s Executive Vice President for Legal Studies spoke of the obligations of States to respect and uphold parental rights. He said parental rights must be an integral part of all international programs involving children. “This will be essential to eradicate gender ideology for good and to protect children from new and emerging threats,” he said.

Gennarini described how international human rights law assigns parents the “primary responsibility” of the development and wellbeing of their children and recognizes their right to direct the education of their children. This reflects international law’s special protections of the natural family as a pre-juridical entity, according to Gennarini. He explained that this is deliberate “to counter the possibility that state-run education systems may be used once again to control entire populations and indoctrinate them, pitting children against parents, and even denouncing them when they were not loyal to government-backed ideologies, as was the case under the Nazi and Communist regimes.”

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The study analyzed data from over 107,000 patients and found that individuals who underwent transition-related surgeries faced significantly higher psychological distress compared to those who did not. Men who had feminizing surgeries reported a 25.4% rate of depression—more than double the 11.5% seen in those who avoided surgery. Among women, the disparity was also evident, with 22.9% experiencing depression post-surgery compared to 14.6% of their non-surgical counterparts. The researchers further highlighted that men who transitioned surgically were at particularly high risk for substance use disorders.

Despite these troubling statistics, the study did not call for an end to transition-related procedures. Instead, it emphasized the need for «gender-sensitive» mental health support following surgery. This conclusion, however, raises concerns about whether the medical community is truly addressing the root causes of gender dysphoria—or merely reinforcing an approach that may be exacerbating suffering.

Debunking the “Gender-Affirmation” Narrative 

For years, media outlets and advocacy groups have promoted the idea that gender transition surgery is not only beneficial but essential for the well-being of those experiencing gender dysphoria. However, mounting evidence suggests otherwise. Multiple studies indicate that “affirming” gender confusion—particularly in minors—carries significant risks, especially when individuals lack the emotional maturity and life experience to fully comprehend the irreversible consequences of medical interventions.

Statistics show that over 80% of children who experience gender dysphoria naturally outgrow it by the end of adolescence without medical intervention. Moreover, data consistently demonstrates that transition-related procedures do not resolve the elevated risk of self-harm and suicide among gender-dysphoric individuals. In fact, some studies suggest that these procedures may actually heighten psychological distress by reinforcing confusion rather than addressing its underlying causes.

Adding to these concerns is the growing number of «detransitioners»—individuals who underwent medical or surgical transition only to later regret it. Many have spoken out about the physical and emotional harm they suffered, as well as the lack of thorough psychological evaluation before being pushed toward irreversible procedures. Some have accused the medical establishment of bias, arguing that certain professionals approach gender transition with a predetermined conclusion rather than objective analysis.

A Silent Crisis: The Long-Term Fallout 

Further underscoring the risks of transition surgeries, a massive peer-reviewed study published last year found that individuals who undergo these procedures face a suicide risk «twelve times» higher than that of the general population. The research, which examined over 90 million patients across 56 healthcare organizations in the U.S., analyzed suicide attempts, deaths, self-harm incidents, and PTSD within five years post-surgery.

The numbers were sobering. Among those who had undergone gender-related surgeries, 3.47% were treated for suicide attempts, compared to just 0.29% of non-transitioning individuals who visited emergency rooms. Yet, despite this staggering difference, researchers once again stopped short of calling for a reevaluation of gender transition practices. Instead, they concluded that the data highlights the need for better psychiatric support following surgery.

In 2016, «The New Atlantis, A Journal of Technology and Society» released a landmark report summarizing nearly 200 peer-reviewed studies on sexual orientation and gender identity. Researchers Lawrence S. Mayer and Paul R. McHugh of Johns Hopkins University found no scientific evidence supporting the claim that gender identity is an innate and fixed characteristic independent of biological sex. Their report challenged the notion that individuals can be «born in the wrong body» and cautioned against the widespread use of medical interventions based on ideology rather than empirical science.  

The Human Cost of Misinformation

Beyond statistics and academic studies, the human toll of gender transition procedures is deeply personal and often tragic. One heartbreaking case is that of Yarden Silveira, a young man who took his own life in 2021 after undergoing gender transition surgery. In a farewell letter, he expressed profound regret, calling the belief that sex can be changed “a dangerous and unethical lie.”

“I wish I had never listened to the medical and psychiatric community when they told me it was possible to change sex. What a lie,” he wrote. “The truth is, sex reassignment surgery is experimental, but they don’t tell you that. Never do. Maybe if I weren’t autistic, if my brain weren’t so broken, I would have realized this before it was too late… I was just a confused, lost kid.”

His words serve as a chilling reminder of the consequences of a medical approach that prioritizes affirmation over critical evaluation. He lamented that doctors and therapists had failed him, leading him down a path he could never undo.

«The transgender ideology and its lies, along with the pro-LGBT media, the medical community, and the psychiatric establishment, have killed me,» he wrote. «This should not come as a surprise to anyone.»

The Urgent Need for a Rethink

The medical community faces a pressing ethical question: should these procedures continue to be promoted as a solution to gender dysphoria? Or is it time to acknowledge that the current approach may be causing more harm than good?

The evidence is increasingly difficult to ignore. If the goal is to reduce suffering, it is imperative to shift the focus toward addressing the psychological and emotional struggles underlying gender dysphoria—rather than prescribing irreversible surgeries that may only deepen them.

While researchers continue to advocate for post-surgical psychiatric care, the real question remains: should these surgeries be happening at all?

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(ZENIT News – Center for Family and Human Rights / New York, 03.08.2025).- The United Nations is soon to mark the 30^th anniversary of the landmark 1995 United Nations Fourth World Conference on Women. The Commission on the Status of Women will be a key occasion for Trump to undermine or otherwise disrupt the UN gender agenda.

Negotiations are already underway for a political declaration recommitting countries to the 1995 conference. It is expected to be adopted on the first day of the Commission. The Trump administration, in the customary negotiating style of this U.S. president, is putting all options on the table, including asking UN delegations to delete all mentions of “gender” in the draft declaration. As can be expected, Trump officials are already clashing with hostile European delegations.

Europeans want the declaration to expressly recall gender ideology, include abortion-related language, and leave out any reference to national sovereignty.

The EU delegation has asked for language recognizing “women in all their diversity” and “intersectionality,” both technical terms referring to men who identify as women. The Europeans also want the declaration to contain references to sexual and reproductive health and reproductive rights, a catchall for all matters related to sexual autonomy, including abortion rights and transgender treatments and surgeries.

The Biden administration aligned with these positions only a few weeks ago. Now U.S. diplomats are being asked by the Trump political appointees to object to these policies.

If Trump is successful in blocking the gender agenda at the UN, there are two possible scenarios at the commission. The first is the failure of the UN commission to reach an agreement altogether. This would weaken the massive UN gender movement and give Trump leverage to launch U.S.-controlled bilateral initiatives for women that exclude gender ideology.

A second scenario involves doctoring the final agreement of the commission so that it defines gender as only referring to the two sexes, avoids any controversial language about sexual and reproductive health, and includes explicit assurances of respect for national sovereignty. This option is more oriented toward UN reform. Europeans, who are deeply committed to gender ideology, may prefer the first option and try to ride out the Trump administration without changing UN policy in any meaningful way.

What is true in either scenario, is that under the Trump administration, the gender agenda faces an existential challenge for the first time since 1995.

If there is a single moment in history to be blamed for the spread of gender ideology throughout the world, the Beijing conference is it. The three-hundred page agreement of the Beijing conference enshrined gender ideology in UN policy for the first time and spawned many of the controversial ideas that the Trump administration is trying to eradicate from the federal government. In fact, it was that agreement that Biden and Obama cited in their executive policies promoting gender ideology.

Over the past thirty years, a global gender lobby emerged from the Beijing conference framework. Spearheaded by UN agencies and supported financially by powerful Western governments, this global lobby has diligently and opportunistically pushed gender ideology everywhere. The bureaucratic mechanisms established to implement the Beijing gender agenda have grown exponentially in power and influence. Gender ministries, gender bureaucracies, gender research grants, gender university chairs, gender foreign aid, gender budgeting, gender mainstreaming, gender analysis, and so on and so forth. The agreement has become a sacred cash cow for the feminist movement. Anyone who questions gender ideology or abortion rights is shouted down as a misogynist. The Trump administration is now challenging this.

If Trump can derail the commission next month, it could deliver the message that any country that promotes gender ideology may be barred from receiving U.S. funding and political support.

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“The teaching of the Catholic Church calls us to advocate for the equal dignity of men and women, recognizing that God created us male and female. This legislation would ensure a level playing field for women and girls to compete in fairness and safety with other females. An ideological promotion of personal identity, detached from biological reality, undermines human dignity and the role sports play in true educational formation. We reiterate our long-standing support for this Act and encourage female student athletes nationwide to continue to strive to uphold fairness and equality in athletic competitions.”

Bishop Barron is chairman of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ (USCCB) Committee on Laity, Marriage, Family Life, and Youth, and Bishop O’Connell is chairman of the USCCB’s Committee on Catholic Education.

The chairmen urged Senate consideration and passage of the Protection of Women and Girls in Sports Act in a letter of support, which may be found here.

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CRC Research polled 1,000 parents with minor children of different political and religious ideologies, on relevant issues of education and on the role of the administration in promoting woke policies, which proposes greater awareness about social inequality, gender position and sexual orientation.

Regarding the so-called equity score, which asks not to exclude the score of 0 on some tests, knowing that African-American students frequently obtain low grades, African-American parents rejected discrimination against their children and prefer that their score be precise: from 0 to 10.

Regarding the critical theory that race should be taken into account when applying disciplinary measures to students, 82% of those surveyed showed rejection: 85% of white parents, 77% of black parents, 69% of Asian parents and 79% of Hispanic parents do not agree that school administrators should focus on a student’s race when imposing a greater or lesser sanction for an infraction.

Noteworthy is that 90% of parents request schools to concentrate on basic subjects, such as mathematics, reading, writing, science and social studies and not on woke ideology. Just over half of parents want the influence of the U.S. Department of Education reduced in the education of their children.

The survey asked if teachers, trainers and school staff should conceal from parents information on so-called gender identity that the students express: 75% pf parents were opposed to this policy established by the Administration.

Erika Sanzi, in charge of the diffusion of Parents Defending Education, said: “This survey shows an overwhelming opposition to school staff concealing from parents information on the gender identity of their children in the school. This is important because the policies propagated by activists enable – and often demand –, deliberate deception of parents by school personnel if that is what the minor wants. It’s refreshing to see confirmation that people think this pervasive trend of facilitating gender transitions behind parents’ back is crazy and needs to stop.”

In regard to the participation of biological men, who identify themselves as women, in women’s teams and competitions, 86% of Republican parents, 80% of politically Independent parents and 60% of Democrat parents expressed their opposition. And a total average of 77% of the parents surveyed were opposed to biological males identified as women being able to use female bathrooms and changing rooms. And vice versa: that biological women could use masculine ones.

Nicole Neily, President of Parents Defending Education, said that the data “highlights that parents are dissatisfied with elements of the modern American education system and that there is broad consensus that it is time for schools to get back to basics.»

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His remarks formed part of a broader theological conference that examined the foundations of Catholic teaching on human dignity. Fernández expressed concern that the use of medical and technological means to alter one’s identity goes beyond cosmetic procedures and into the realm of constructing an artificial reality. While acknowledging that some individuals experience profound distress regarding their identity, he urged caution in responding to such cases, emphasizing that extreme measures should not be viewed as simple solutions.

He pointed to the Church’s theological anthropology as a unique and unparalleled framework for understanding human nature. Referring to «Dignitas Infinita», a recent Vatican document on human dignity, Fernández invoked the words of Pope John Paul II, who in 1980 reminded the faithful that God’s love bestows immeasurable worth upon every human being. The cardinal stressed that those who suffer from physical or spiritual difficulties are especially embraced by Christ’s love.

The event, titled «The Catholic Foundation of Human Dignity,» was intended to connect Catholic theology with other academic disciplines and worldviews. Christoph Ohly, rector of KHKT, highlighted that questions of dignity and human rights are not exclusive to Christianity but resonate with all of humanity. Over the course of several days, theologians and scholars explored how dignity is defined, its connection to human rights, and the evolving debates surrounding its application in modern society.

Fernández’s intervention reaffirmed the Church’s commitment to a vision of human nature rooted in theological tradition rather than shifting cultural trends. His remarks add to an ongoing Vatican discourse that seeks to defend the integrity of the human person while engaging with the complexities of modern thought.

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A spokesperson for Google clarified that the company has long relied on timeanddate.com to provide holiday data for Google Calendar. In recent years, Google manually added various cultural and commemorative dates for different countries, but maintaining such an extensive and ever-expanding list became unsustainable.

“We received feedback that many important events were missing, and manually maintaining hundreds of observances globally was neither scalable nor consistent,” the spokesperson said. “For that reason, in mid-2024, we returned to showing only national holidays and celebrations sourced from timeanddate.com, while allowing users to manually add other important moments.”

Previously, users would see events like the start of Pride Month on June 1 appear automatically in their calendars. Other now-removed observances include Hispanic Heritage Month, Indigenous Peoples’ Month, Holocaust Remembrance Day, and Teacher Appreciation Day.

Despite these removals, the spokesperson emphasized that Google remains committed to recognizing cultural and historical events through other products and platforms. They specifically pointed to ongoing promotions for Black History Month and Lunar New Year.

Federal holidays such as Christmas, Easter, Thanksgiving, and the Fourth of July remain visible by default for U.S. users, as do widely recognized secular celebrations like Halloween and New Year’s Eve.

The update does not prevent users from adding their own preferred events. Google noted that Calendar’s customization options allow users to select which categories of holidays they wish to display, including religious or cultural observances.

The decision to streamline Google Calendar’s event listings coincides with other significant updates across Google’s services and changes within the federal government.

This week, users in the United States noticed that Google Maps had changed the labeling of the Gulf of Mexico to the “Gulf of America,” reflecting a renaming directive issued by former President Donald Trump. In contrast, Mexican users still see the traditional name, while international users see both designations. Google explained the update by citing its long-standing practice of aligning geographic names with official government sources.

The shift in Google Calendar also mirrors broader federal policies under the Trump administration. In late January, the Department of Defense’s intelligence agency halted all observances of Pride Month and other heritage celebrations following Trump’s executive order dismantling diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives across the federal government. The State Department implemented a new policy barring U.S. embassies from flying the Pride flag or any other ideological banners, allowing only the American flag. Additionally, the Department of Justice disbanded its Pride office.

While Google maintains that its Calendar update was motivated by efficiency rather than ideology, its timing and alignment with federal changes have fueled debate. Whether seen as a neutral streamlining effort or a subtle cultural shift, the update reflects an evolving landscape in how institutions—both private and public—handle identity-based observances.

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“I welcome the President’s Executive Order prohibiting the promotion and federal funding of procedures that, based on a false understanding of human nature, attempt to change a child’s sex. So many young people who have been victims of this ideological crusade have profound regrets over its life altering consequences, such as infertility and lifelong dependence on costly hormone therapies that have significant side effects. It is unacceptable that our children are encouraged to undergo destructive medical interventions instead of receiving access to authentic and bodily-unitive care.

“I also applaud the Executive Order’s aim to identify and develop research-based therapies to aid young people struggling with gender dysphoria. These individuals are loved by God and possess the same inherent dignity that all persons do. They deserve care that heals rather than harms.

“As Pope Francis affirms (Dignitas Infinita, 60), we are all called to accept the gift of our bodies created in God’s image and likeness as male and female. Sexual difference is profoundly beautiful and the basis for the union of spouses whose love can bear fruit in the inestimable gift of a human life.

“Helping young people accept their bodies and their vocation as women and men is the true path of freedom and happiness.”

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