On January 28, 2025, President Donald Trump issued a landmark executive order titled Protecting Children from Chemical and Surgical Mutilation. This order has stirred considerable debate across the country, particularly among those concerned with the ethical implications of gender-transition procedures for minors. As a Catholic audience, it is essential to examine this executive order through the lens of Church teachings on human dignity, the sanctity of life, and the protection of children.
The Heart of the Executive Order
President Trump’s executive order is a direct response to what he refers to as a growing trend of “maiming and sterilizing a growing number of impressionable children” under the guise of medical interventions. In the order, Trump emphasizes the belief that it is a “radical and false claim” that adults can change a child’s sex through “irreversible medical interventions.” The order states, “This dangerous trend will be a stain on our Nation’s history, and it must end.”
This statement resonates with Catholic teaching, which emphasizes the inherent dignity and unchangeable nature of the human person created in the image and likeness of God (Genesis 1:27). The Church holds that every person is called to live in harmony with their God-given identity, and any actions that distort this natural order can have deep spiritual and psychological consequences.
The Language of the Order: “Chemical and Surgical Mutilation”
The executive order specifically defines the practices in question as “chemical and surgical mutilation.” This term includes the use of puberty blockers, sex hormones, and surgical procedures aimed at altering the sexual characteristics of minors. Trump calls these practices “gender-affirming care” but rejects their validity, arguing that such medical interventions are damaging to children’s physical and psychological well-being.
In the order, he notes the lifelong consequences of these interventions, stating, “Countless children soon regret that they have been mutilated and begin to grasp the horrifying tragedy that they will never be able to conceive children of their own or nurture their children through breastfeeding.” The Catholic Church strongly upholds the natural law that children are a gift, and every human being has the right to both bodily integrity and the opportunity to embrace the beauty of human sexuality in accordance with God’s plan for creation.
Ethical and Moral Concerns: A Call to Protect Children
One of the most striking aspects of the executive order is its emphasis on protecting children. The document stresses that the United States “will not fund, sponsor, promote, assist, or support the so-called ‘transition’ of a child from one sex to another.” This policy is rooted in the conviction that children, by their very nature, are still in the developmental stages of their lives. According to the order, many children who undergo gender-transition procedures experience regret and long-term medical complications, such as sterilization.
From a Catholic perspective, this aligns with the Church’s teaching on the necessity of protecting vulnerable individuals, especially children, from decisions that could harm their physical and psychological well-being. The Catechism of the Catholic Church teaches, “The human person is endowed with a spiritual soul, and human freedom exists for the fulfillment of man’s vocation…Man, who is the only creature on earth which God has willed for its own sake, cannot find himself except through a sincere gift of himself” (CCC 27). This aligns with the call to respect and protect the identity and body that God has given each person, particularly during formative years.
Defunding and Ending Support for Gender-Transition Procedures
A key provision of the order directs federal agencies to end the funding of procedures and drugs related to gender transition for minors. Agencies that provide research or educational grants to medical institutions are ordered to ensure that these institutions no longer administer puberty blockers, hormones, or perform surgeries on minors. The order also mandates that the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) take all appropriate actions to end the practices of “chemical and surgical mutilation” and increase the quality of data guiding medical practices for minors with gender dysphoria.
This aspect of the executive order has sparked discussions about the role of government in medical ethics and how policies can either protect or endanger vulnerable individuals. The Catholic Church’s long-standing advocacy for the sanctity of life and the moral implications of medical treatments calls for careful scrutiny of any medical intervention, especially when it involves children, who may not yet be fully equipped to understand the long-term consequences of their decisions.
Ending the Use of “Junk Science”
Another critical component of the order addresses the reliance on what the administration terms “junk science” provided by the World Professional Association for Transgender Health (WPATH). The order claims that WPATH’s guidelines lack scientific integrity, particularly its support for treatments like puberty blockers and sex hormone therapy for minors.
From the standpoint of Catholic teaching, which advocates for science that aligns with human dignity, there is concern about the ethical implications of medical practices that may be seen as harmful or deceptive. The Church teaches that medical professionals have a duty to “care for the sick” while also ensuring that their treatment choices align with the natural law and moral order. As the order notes, many children who undergo gender-transition procedures later regret their decisions, facing the lifelong consequences of irreversible actions taken during a vulnerable stage in their lives.
A Call for Reflection
This executive order challenges the ongoing debate about gender identity and the rights of children. For Catholics, the issue centers on the dignity of the human person and the ethical responsibilities that society has in safeguarding children from decisions that could harm their spiritual, emotional, and physical well-being. As the Catechism teaches, “The human person is the only creature on earth which God has willed for its own sake” (CCC 356). The implications of this executive order extend beyond politics, urging reflection on how we can protect the most vulnerable in society, especially when the consequences of decisions made in youth can have lifelong, irreversible impacts.
As the Church continues to engage in this conversation, it is important to remember the foundational teachings on the sanctity of life and the inherent dignity of every person. The call to protect children from procedures that could alter their God-given identity is a call to uphold the moral truth that the body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, to be honored and respected throughout one’s life.