In the United States, the national conference of Catholic bishops rejects the concept of gender transition, leaving many transgender Catholics feeling excluded.

On Wednesday, the Vatican made public a sharply contrasting statement, saying its permissible, under certain circumstances, for trans Catholics to be baptized and serve as godparents.

It is a major step for trans inclusion it is big and good news, said Francis DeBernardo, executive director of Maryland-based New Ways Ministry, which advocates for greater LGBTQ acceptance in the church.

The document was signed Oct. 21 by Pope Francis and Cardinal Vctor Manuel Fernndez, who heads the Vaticans Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith. It was posted Wednesday on that offices website.

If it did not cause scandal or disorientation among other Catholics, a transgender person may receive baptism under the same conditions as other faithful, the document said.

Similarly, the document said trans adults even if they had undergone gender-transition surgery could serve as godfathers or godmothers under certain conditions.