Archbishop Vigneron, as chief shepherd of the faithful in the Archdiocese of Detroit, shares the concerns and challenges the faithful face within their families and our modern culture. Among the most pressing challenges, according to Archbishop Vigneron, “is how to rightly understand the human person according to God’s plan,” particularly when it comes to questions of gender identity, gender confusion (the preferred name for transgenderism), and biological sex.

In this time of great confusion in our culture, Archbishop Vigneron considered it necessary to clarify how parishes and schools in the Archdiocese of Detroit will live the truth of who we are and what the Church teaches on these matters. The result is his new pastoral letter and accompanying policies, both promulgated in the spirit of speaking truth in charity, seeking to present the mind of the Church on these matters with compassion and understanding for those receiving it, particularly those who have personal experience with the challenges of gender identity.