Pope Francis warned on Friday of the dangers of the so-called gender theorystating that he had commissioned studies on what he condemned as a “ugly ideology” that threatens humanity.
Addressing participants in a two-day conference at the Vatican on the evolving role of men and women according to Christian teachings, Francis said that what he called “gender ideology” was a threat because it seeks to erase the difference between the sexes.
“I have asked that studies be carried out on this ugly ideology of our time, which cancels out differences and makes everything the same,” the pontiff said. “To cancel differences means to cancel humanity.”
Gender theory, often called gender ideology by its detractors, suggests that gender is more complex and fluid than the binary categories of man and woman, and depends on more than just visible sexual characteristics.
Francisco, 87, said he is still suffering from a cold and had asked an aide to read his speech, but first wanted to “underline” his feelings about gender ideology.
He said he remembered reading a “prophetic” book called “Lord of the World” – a dystopian novel published in 1907 by a Catholic priest about a world in which religion has no place – which warned of the risk of nullifying the differences between religions. people.
“Read it if you have time, because it talks about these problems of today,” the pope told his visitors.
