Transgender believers can be baptized in the Catholic Church if the act does not cause a “scandal” or “confusion,” the Vatican said on Wednesday in response to a question from a Brazilian bishop, clarifying a sensitive point of doctrine.

The Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith, whose mission is to promote and defend the Catholic faith, also had no objection to the baptism of children of same-sex couples, regardless of whether they were adopted or born through surrogacy.

The Vatican made the comments in a document in which it answered questions from José Negri, bishop of Santo Amaro in the Brazilian state of Bahia.

The document, approved by Pope Francis, is dated October 31, but has barely been made public.

The Pope has repeatedly insisted that the Church must be open to all, including LGBTQ believers. However, he made it clear that he considers homosexuality “a sin, just like any sexual act outside of marriage.”

Catholic teaching defines marriage as the union between a man and a woman to have children.

In the document, the Dicastery indicates that transgender people “can receive baptism, under the same conditions as other believers, if there are no situations where there is a risk of creating a public scandal or disorientation among the faithful.”

The same applies to anyone who has undergone hormone treatment or gender reassignment surgery, the document said.

When asked whether a same-sex couple could be considered parents of a child to be baptized, the Dicastery responded that there should only be a “well-founded hope” that the child will be educated in the Catholic religion. (JO)