On Monday the Vatican released a 24-page document entitled Dignitas Infinita. The Latin term for “Infinite Dignity” classifies acts such as gender theory, transgender surgery, and surrogacy, which are considered an insult to human dignity. The Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith’s (DDF) research into threats to modern human dignity spanned five years.
The document begins with the statement: “In light of Revelation the Church resolutely affirms the ontological dignity of the human being, created in God’s image and likeness and redeemed by Jesus Christ.”
In the document, the Vatican describes in detail the modern issues, which it believes negatively affect humanity, using the teachings and Scriptures of the Catholic Church. Dignitas Infinita also includes controversial topics and issues such as human slavery, poverty, euthanasia, and the death penalty. The issues that have been at the forefront of the political, cultural, and educational worlds were given very detailed and harsh scrutiny.
The Church’s views on gender theory aren’t new. However, Pope Francis has called it “the most dangerous ideology colonization” in the world. With the rise of its practice and indoctrination, it is the latest move from the Vatican to denounce the doctrine firmly. Dignitas Infinita has formally declared gender theory to be an unacceptable ideology. It states firmly and blatantly that any attempt to change an individual’s unchangeable gender is ultimately a misguided attempt to play God.
The document says: “Regarding the gender theory, which is subject to considerable debate by experts regarding its scientific coherence, the Church reminds us that life, in all of its dimensions, physical and spiritual is a gift given by God.” This gift should be received with gratitude and put to good use. In addition to this fundamental truth, that life is a gift, gender theory advocates a desire for personal self-determination. This amounts to giving in to the old temptation of trying to become God. It puts us at odds with the God revealed to us through the Gospel. The gender theory also aims to deny that the most important difference between humans is sexuality. This fundamental difference is the most important and powerful. It is the biggest difference imaginable. This difference creates the most wonderful reciprocity in the male-female relationship. This is the origin of the miracle of the birth of new humans in the world, which never ceases to amaze us.
Dignitas Infinita was revised multiple times in the last year. Pope Francis approved its release on March 25, 2024. Cardinal Victor Manuel Fernandez presented the document at a press conference held Monday, Vatican City, by the DDF prefect. The document reaffirms Church teachings on abortion and expands on and details its longstanding ethical criticisms against surrogate pregnancy.
“The Church takes a position against surrogacy as well, which reduces the child to a mere object. Surrogacy is a practice that violates the dignity and worth of children. Each child has an intangible, but distinct, dignity, which is expressed at every stage in their lives: at conception, birth, as a baby or a girl, or even when they become adults,” wrote the dicastery in its document. The document states that “because of this unalienable Dignitas, the child has a right to a human origin (and not one that is artificially induced), and the gift of life that reflects both the dignity and the worth of the giver as well as the recipient.”
Dignitas Infinita is not meant to be an exhaustive statement on all these issues. It’s more of a first glance at the Vatican’s perceptions of the greatest threats to human dignity. The document ends with the statement that, even though the Vatican views these issues negatively and as a threat to human dignity, they reinforce the belief that all people should be treated with dignity and respect.
The Church promotes the dignity of all human beings, irrespective of their physical or mental characteristics, as well as their cultural, social, and religious traits.
