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The article reports on the Vattican document approved by Pope Francis endorsing baptism of transgender people and participation as godparents in Catholic baptisms and witnesses at church weddings. Focus is given on the opposition of Pope Francis to same-sex marriage and the prohibition of people in same-sex relationships similar to marriage to become godparents. It discusses efforts of the Catholic Church to be more welcoming to lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ) people.

The article focuses on the Vatican issuing a new document approved by Pope Francis, stating the church's opposition to gender fluidity, transition surgery, surrogacy, and in vitro fertilization, citing them as affronts to human dignity.

Reports that the Vatican has released a document calling abortion a horrendous crime, but also questioning the idea of pre-emptive war embraced by the administration of U.S. President George W. Bush.

A TOP Vatican official said The Times ''lacks fairness in its coverage of Pope Benedict.'' The archbishop of Brooklyn urged parishioners to ''besiege'' the paper and send a message that the Catholic Church will no longer be its ''personal punching bag.'' Writers in The Wall Street Journal and other publications have assailed the paper. ''Falsehood upon falsehood,'' the Rev. Raymond J. de Souza, a priest and professor at Queen's University in Ontario, wrote in Canada's National Post. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]