Swiss Catholic Bishops’ Conference Calls for an End to Conversion Therapy

The Swiss Conference of Catholic Bishops (SBK) has issued a statement calling for a ban on conversion therapies for LGBTQ+ people, reports Katholisch.de.

The statement, entitled “SBK statement on the ban on so-called conversion measures” and which was posted on the conference’s website, said “any form of conversion measure constitutes targeted manipulation intended to induce a person to change or suppress their sexual orientation or gender identity. This can occur through methods such as pressure, blame, threats, isolation, denigration, or religious fear.”

The conference “firmly rejects conversion measures. They are incompatible with a pastoral mission based on acceptance, truthfulness, and the protection of the individual. In a religious context, such practices can constitute spiritual abuse when people are shamed, threatened, or manipulated in the name of God.”

The statement was made in response to a debate in the Swiss parliament about a ban on so-called conversion measures, which the bishops describe as  “services, programs, or interventions that aim to change or suppress sexual orientation, gender identity, or gender expression.” 

The bishops made a distinction between conversion therapy and “open-ended, respectful conversations and support in which people reflect on their personal situation and make decisions freely. Pastoral care is legitimate when it upholds the dignity and freedom of the individual, protects personal integrity, and does not exert undue influence.” They called for “a clear definition” of ” ‘reorientation’ practices. . . .so that open-ended pastoral care, counseling, and professional psychotherapy are not criminalized.” They also called that those being helped “should have easy access to support, counseling, and complaint procedures.”

The statement was grounded in Catholic social teaching, pastoral care, and following the spirit of Pope Leo.  The bishops explain:

“According to the Christian understanding of humanity, respect for personal integrity as being created in the image of God is a fundamental right. All people should therefore be protected from violence, coercion, and abuse. Anyone who turns to pastoral caregivers, counselors, or therapists with questions about their own identity or lifestyle has a right to respect, confidentiality, and freedom.

“Shortly after his inauguration, Pope Leo XIV emphasized that the mission of the Church was ‘to bring the love of God to all people’ and to promote a unity that does not eliminate differences but respects the history of each individual ( Homily, May 18, 2025 ).”

Earlier this year, the U.S. Supreme Court sided with a Christian therapist in Colorado who sued the state because she said her First Amendment freedom of speech was being denied by a state law which banned any kind of so-called “conversion therapy” for LGBTQ+ minors.  Sadly, the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, the Colorado Catholic Conference,and The Catholic University of America filed a joint amicus brief in support of the therapist.  Yet Catholic lay people, and Catholic LGBTQ+ organizations and leaders filed briefs asking the Court to protect LGBTQ+ people from conversion therapy by upholding the state’s ban.  Following the Court’s decision, New Ways Ministry called the ruling “perhaps the most frightening and damaging LGBTQ+ decision issued by the current Supreme Court” because ” ‘Conversion therapy’ has been repeatedly and consistently repudiated by mental health and medical professionals not only because it is ineffective, but because it is harmful to individuals who undergo such therapy, leading to severe psychological problems that have at times have resulted in suicide.”

At the conclusion of their statement, the bishops summarize their key messages:

• “The Swiss Bishops’ Conference (SBK) rejects all forms of conversion therapy. Practices that aim to change or suppress sexual orientation, gender identity, or gender expression contradict the dignity of the person as created in the image of God and can cause significant harm.”
• “The SBK advocates for a legal regulation at the Swiss level that effectively protects minors and vulnerable persons in particular and has a preventive effect.”
• “A ban must be designed in such a way that it does not cover open-ended, respectful counselling and pastoral care, as well as professional psychotherapeutic support.”
• “Pastoral care must never exert pressure or shame people. Conversion measures in a religious context can constitute spiritual abuse and are incompatible with Catholic pastoral care.”

In 2025, the SBK published new guidelines for the lifestyles of pastoral workers, aimed at confronting the “tensions” between public witness and privacy.  The guidelines were described by the bishop as “speaking out against a rigid set of rules”, and instead emphasizing “the need for spiritual discernment, given the unique nature of each life situation.”

This statement is a model for other bishops’ conferences to follow, and, indeed for the Vatican itself to follow.  Too often in the past church leaders have been reluctant to call for bans on conversion therapies for fear that such bans will interfere with legitimate pastoral counseling by church ministers.  The SBK has struck a balance by condemning such therapy but asking for protections for professional, respectful, non-coercive, pastoral assistance.  They have shown that opposing conversion therapy does not have to be an “all or nothing” proposition. May other church leaders follow their example of being forthright in calling for an end to a cruel practice which has damaged, and sadly in some cases ended, so many lives.

—Francis DeBernardo, New Ways Ministry. May 28, 2026