The Swiss Bishops’ Conference has endorsed plans for a nationwide ban on conversion therapy.
In a statement released on 26 May, the bishops said they supported a federal prohibition on what they described as “conversion measures”, as the Swiss parliament continues to debate legislation aimed at outlawing the practice across the country. The conference also said practices intended to alter or suppress a person’s sexual orientation or gender identity are incompatible with Catholic pastoral care and can amount to “spiritual abuse”.
“The Swiss Bishops’ Conference firmly rejects conversion measures,” the statement said. “They are incompatible with a pastoral mission based on acceptance, truthfulness, and the protection of the individual.”
The bishops said such practices could involve “pressure, blame, threats, isolation, denigration, or religious fear” in an effort to induce a person “to change or suppress their sexual orientation or gender identity”.
“In a religious context, such practices can constitute spiritual abuse when people are shamed, threatened, or manipulated in the name of God,” the statement added.
The Swiss bishops insisted, however, that any ban should clearly distinguish between coercive practices and legitimate pastoral accompaniment. They said “open-ended, respectful conversations and support” must not be criminalised where individuals freely seek advice or spiritual guidance.
“Pastoral care is legitimate when it upholds the dignity and freedom of the individual, protects personal integrity, and does not exert undue influence,” the statement said.
The bishops also backed legal safeguards intended to protect “minors and vulnerable persons” and said those affected by conversion practices should have “easy access to support, counselling, and complaint procedures”.
Switzerland is moving closer towards a federal ban on conversion therapy following a series of measures at cantonal level. Several Swiss cantons have already prohibited conversion therapy, with Neuchâtel becoming the first to legislate against the practice in 2023. Valais, Vaud, Bern, St Gallen and Schaffhausen have since taken similar steps.
The Federal Council earlier this year adopted its first national action plan against hate crimes targeting LGBT people, while parliament has continued discussions over a uniform national framework regulating conversion therapy.
The bishops rooted their position in Catholic teaching on human dignity, saying every person must be protected from “violence, coercion, and abuse”.
“According to the Christian understanding of humanity, respect for personal integrity as being created in the image of God is a fundamental right,” the statement said.
The conference also cited Pope Leo XIV, referring to remarks he made shortly after his inauguration last year in which he said the Church must “bring the love of God to all people” and promote a unity that “does not eliminate differences but respects the history of each individual”.
The Swiss bishops sought to draw that distinction directly in their own statement, arguing that legislation must be “clearly defined” so that ordinary pastoral care and professional psychotherapy remain protected while coercive or manipulative practices are outlawed.
“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,” the bishops said. “Pastoral care must never exert pressure or shame people.”
