Transgender Woman Prepares To Enter Carmelite Convent

[das8949]

Transgender Woman Prepares to Enter Carmelite Convent

One of the places where Catholicism and gender are most strongly inscribed together is the area of vowedreligious life.  There are communities for only men and other communities for only women.  What if your gender doesn’t fit into this binary?

Tia Michelle Pesando

That question is being answered in London, Ontario, where a transgender woman is preparing to enter a community of Carmelite women.  When Canada’s Tia Michelle Pesando, who is already living as a consecrated virgin, is accepted into the community, it is being said that she will be the world’s first transgender nun.

CTV News reported that Pesando, who is a hermaphrodite* (born with physical characteristics of both male and female) has already begun a process of taking hormones to live as a woman.  But the process of becoming a nun is more a spiritual, than a physical, notion for her.  As CTV News stated:

“Two years ago Pesando heard God calling her and she knew she had to take her transformation farther.

“ ‘I’m very convinced of the reality of God and the importance of such a calling,’ she says.

“When Pesando decided to become a nun, she received her priest’s blessing and is now going through the process to become a Carolinian sister and the first ever Roman Catholic transgender nun.

“ ‘I’m in the training process which is starting this August, so it’s a positive start that I’ve undergone.’ “

While there is always the possibility of hierarchical intervention in the admissions process,  Pesando remains positive:

“ ‘Forgiveness needs to begin somewhere,” she says. “It needs to begin with us, all of us, those in 

 

[Kayte Postle]

The big thing here is that she was born a hermaphrodite, and therefore not transgender. Her hormone treatment and any surgery that might of taken place is seen as treating a medical condition in the eyes of the Church. I understand that this is presumably a big deal, but I think the news source is spinning it in a way that makes it a much bigger deal than it really is.

 

This is simply a woman following her vocation, prayers for her as she continues to follow God's call.

Edited July 28, 2014 by Kayte Postle

[vee]

 

Tia was assigned the male gender marker since birth (like most classical hermaphrodites), and videos documenting her transition have been viewed by millions. At priestly recommendation she is currently undergoing the procedure to join the Carmelite Third Order; her plan is to remain in this order while she is at home helping to take care of her parents, and then perhaps become a fully-fledged Second Order cloistered Carmelite nun.

 

http://www.lfpress.com/ur/story/884559

 

 

[OnlySunshine]

It would seem to me that this would be a canonical impediment or irregularity that would prevent Tia's entrance into a women's religious order.  I wonder what will come of this in the near future.  I actually knew of a hermaphrodite when I was in elementary school since she and I were taking classes together.  She was on hormones, beginning at puberty, to regulate her menstrual cycle, but was brought up as a girl, unlike Tia, who was brought up a male.  She was female hermaphrodite and has uterus and ovaries.  She is now married and has 2 biological children.  I realize there is some difference to someone who was born with both male and female genitalia as opposed to someone with defined characteristics one way or another but I don't like the usage of the "transgender" terminology since it's inaccurate. 

Edited July 28, 2014 by MaterMisericordiae

[marigold]

http://www.lfpress.com/ur/story/884559

 

"Consecrated maiden"?

[Antigonos]

The term in use nowadays is "intersex" . Prior to ultrasound and DNA testing, it was often very hard to discover the actual gender, based solely on the appearance of the external genitalia. Many children were wrongly assigned as males, possibly because parents wanted to have a son more.

Transgender, properly, is something else again. In this situation, the person's sexual identity, based on physical evidence and function, is clear, but the person has an overwhelming feeling that he or she is "trapped in the wrong body". They are the ones who want gender-reassignment and usually drastic surgery. IMO, the transgender phenomenon is a mental issue; ambiguous sexuality because of intersex problems is a physical one.

[Jennifer]

Many prayers for Tia as she continues her discernment.

[OnlySunshine]

The term in use nowadays is "intersex" . Prior to ultrasound and DNA testing, it was often very hard to discover the actual gender, based solely on the appearance of the external genitalia. Many children were wrongly assigned as males, possibly because parents wanted to have a son more.

Transgender, properly, is something else again. In this situation, the person's sexual identity, based on physical evidence and function, is clear, but the person has an overwhelming feeling that he or she is "trapped in the wrong body". They are the ones who want gender-reassignment and usually drastic surgery. IMO, the transgender phenomenon is a mental issue; ambiguous sexuality because of intersex problems is a physical one.

 

I agree.  I wish I could prop you.

[vee]

"Consecrated maiden"?

 

I wondered about that too and after some googling came across this article.  https://www.ewtn.com/library/PRIESTS/CONSVIRG.HTM

  From the article I linked to  if she were a consecrated virgin she wouldnt be able to then switch to something else as it is its own vocation, so I dont know what is going on

 

The consecrated virgin living in the world embodies a definitive vocation in itself. She is not a quasi-Religious, nor is she in a vocation that is in the process of becoming a Religious institute or congregation. She is a consecrated woman, nevertheless, with her bishop as her guide. By virtue of the Consecration, she is responsible to pray for her diocese and clergy. At no time is her diocese responsible for her financial support.

The consecrated virgin living in the world, as expressed in Canon 604, is irrevocably "consecrated to God, mystically espoused to Christ and dedicated to the service of the Church, when the diocesan bishop consecrates [her] according to the approved liturgical rite." The consecrated virgin attends Mass daily, prays the Divine Office, and spends much time in private prayer. She can choose the Church-approved spirituality she prefers to follow.

[Perigrina]

The big thing here is that she was born a hermaphrodite, and therefore not transgender. Her hormone treatment and any surgery that might of taken place is seen as treating a medical condition in the eyes of the Church. I understand that this is presumably a big deal, but I think the news source is spinning it in a way that makes it a much bigger deal than it really is.

 

This is simply a woman following her vocation, prayers for her as she continues to follow God's call.

 

Exactly.  The transgender movement tries to portray their condition as if they were the same as the intersexed.  The article was media spin to support this agenda.  It has nothing to do with a transsexual entering a convent.

[bernadette d]

I am wondering why it has been made public?

[Perigrina]

I am wondering why it has been made public?

 

There is no way to know if she was complicit in the use the media is making of her situation.  We should assume the best, that this was done without her consent.

[marigold]

I wondered about that too and after some googling came across this article.  https://www.ewtn.com/library/PRIESTS/CONSVIRG.HTM

  From the article I linked to  if she were a consecrated virgin she wouldnt be able to then switch to something else as it is its own vocation, so I dont know what is going on

 

Well I know that sometimes nuns are made consecrated virgins along with their solemn vows. (For example see the caption here - can't find the thread where this was discussed a while back.) I know there is a lot of effort to establish that it is an independent vocation in its own right but it seems like there is a precedent of it sometimes 'doubling up'. Maybe like a diocesan priest joining a religious community.

 

At first I thought the 'maiden' thing was a typical media mistake, but then I saw that in the left-hand sidebar there was an image of her book with the same title.

[brandelynmarie]

God bless you, Tia. May our Mother of Mount Carmel wrap Her mantle around you & protect you & may your heart be healed...

[Hemma]

Well I know that sometimes nuns are made consecrated virgins along with their solemn vows. (For example see the caption here - can't find the thread where this was discussed a while back.) I know there is a lot of effort to establish that it is an independent vocation in its own right but it seems like there is a precedent of it sometimes 'doubling up'. Maybe like a diocesan priest joining a religious community.

 

At first I thought the 'maiden' thing was a typical media mistake, but then I saw that in the left-hand sidebar there was an image of her book with the same title.

Yes, I've heard of that too from Nonnberg Abbey at Salzburg. Carthusian nuns have it always (?).

[truthfinder]

Yes, I've heard of that too from Nonnberg Abbey at Salzburg. Carthusian nuns have it always (?).

They, Carthusians, historically did - because they would also get a stole.  But I'm not sure if they do anymore.

[Feankie]

Not really knowing about this as much as the rest of you, I toss out a questions. In reading the long article on the link, it says she is preparing to join the Third Order Carmelites, not go into a convent, hoping to enter the convent some day. Am I reading this wrong?! Not to cause a firestorm here,just pop in and read the article with the description of the book she wrote. Hmmmm...

Edited July 28, 2014 by Francis Clare

[Kayte Postle]

Not really knowing about this as much as the rest of you, I toss out a questions. In reading the long article on the link, it says she is preparing to join the Third Order Carmelites, not go into a convent, hoping to enter the convent some day. Am I reading this wrong?! Not to cause a firestorm here,just pop in and read the article with the description of the book she wrote. Hmmmm...

 

I've been a bit curious about this a well. After reading the original link again and the first article that Vee8 posted I have a few questions. The article vee posted was worded in a way that made it sound that she is not a CV recognized by her  Bishop, but rather one day just starting wearing a veil and calling herself a CV. Then again media tends to get things grossly wrong, so I hate to make any kind of assumption.
 

Either way I'll continue to pray for her.

[domenica_therese]

The term in use nowadays is "intersex" . Prior to ultrasound and DNA testing, it was often very hard to discover the actual gender, based solely on the appearance of the external genitalia. Many children were wrongly assigned as males, possibly because parents wanted to have a son more.

Transgender, properly, is something else again. In this situation, the person's sexual identity, based on physical evidence and function, is clear, but the person has an overwhelming feeling that he or she is "trapped in the wrong body". They are the ones who want gender-reassignment and usually drastic surgery. IMO, the transgender phenomenon is a mental issue; ambiguous sexuality because of intersex problems is a physical one.

 

 I looked into this story a bit last night because I was curious about whether the media was spinning it to use her story to promote their agenda. I was also curious about the back-story behind the word "transgender" in relation to her because of what Antigonos described above. I wasn't sure what her traditional, physical gender-assignment would have been. If, instead of being intersex, she had clearly been biologically male, and decided to switch to being female, I think that would be canonically problematic. On the other hand, if someone were living as a man, but decided to revert to their God-given gender, and then join a convent as a part of that, that would be a step in a process of healing that I think the Church would definitely support.

 

But if what seems to be her twitter account really is her twitter account, she's been reposting the articles, and she seems to be willing for her story to be the symbol it seems to be for some. Some things about her book, her youtube account, and on her website raise some red flags.

 

 

This is from the description of her book on Amazon (so I'm assuming she wrote or approved this):

 

 

 

Recently, she walked into a Roman Catholic church just before mass dressed as a woman, wearing the veil of the consecrated maiden, and approached the priest with the statement, "I have assembled a rock-solid argument in favour of homosexuality" The positive response she received alone shows that there is hope.

 

The internet remembers everything, so it's hard to say what the current state of her heart is, I would just be cautious about endorsing her.

 

 

[Perigrina]

But if what seems to be her twitter account really is her twitter account, she's been reposting the articles, and she seems to be willing for her story to be the symbol it seems to be for some. Some things about her book, her youtube account, and on her website raise some red flags.

 

 

If this is really the case, it seems unlikely that she will end up being accepted at a Carmel.  Perhaps we can pray that the process works as it should.