The Archdiocese of New York claims that its bishop lacks the authority or capacity to investigate remarks made by a Jesuit priest in the state concerning "gender-affirming" therapy for children, which appear to contradict Pope Francis' declared position on the topic.

The Archdiocese of New York, one of the most visible and public Roman Catholic dioceses in the United States, claims that Jesuit priest Fr. James Martin is not within its control. Martin is a member of the international Society of Jesus, sometimes known as the "Jesuits," and is located in New York.

Martin is also an editor-at-large for America Magazine, a Jesuit journal. The priest has almost 305,000 followers on Twitter, where he is a frequent user. Despite the Democratic Party's pro-abortion stance, he raised eyebrows in 2020 by leading the opening prayer at the Democratic National Convention.

JUDAS AND 'CATHOLICS FOR CHOICE,' SAYS DC ARCHBISHOP: 'THEY ARE ACTUALLY EXTERNAL TO THE CHURCH,' says the author.

On Tuesday, Martin responded to Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, appearing to refute Paxton's claim that "sex-change procedures and puberty blockers provided to children are 'child abuse' under Texas law."

Paxton continued, ""I'll do all I can to safeguard young Texans from those who take advantage of them and damage them," says the governor.

Martin responded by citing a statement from the Texas Pediatric Society, which endorsed "gender affirming treatment."

The Texas Pediatric Society writes, "We know that when children and adolescents get adequate gender affirming treatment, including puberty suppressors, the likelihood of lifetime suicidal ideation drops considerably." Puberty blockers are a type of hormone treatment that prevents youngsters from reaching puberty.

According to the Mayo Clinic, puberty blockers can have an irreversible effect on both main and secondary sex characteristics in humans, including genitalia, breasts, facial hair, menstruation, and fertility in both sexes. Children can resume their natural pubescent development if puberty blockers are removed as soon as possible.

The Mayo Clinic noted, "If a teenage kid decides to stop using GnRH analogues, puberty will restart."

"Father Martin is a Jesuit priest, and as such, he is accountable to his Jesuit superiors rather than the Archdiocese of New York," archdiocese spokesman Joseph Zwelling told Fox News. "Any response to his words should be made by them, not by this archdiocese."

Cardinal Timothy Dolan is a cardinal appointed by Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI and the prelate and diocesan archbishop of the Archdiocese of New York. Cardinal Timothy Dolan addresses the congregation at St. Patrick's Cathedral in New York on Ash Wednesday, Feb. 17, 2021.

Cardinal Timothy Dolan addresses the congregation at St. Patrick's Cathedral in New York on Ash Wednesday, Feb. 17, 2021.

A diocesan bishop — in this case, Cardinal Dolan – has final power over suspending the faculties of clergy in his geographic jurisdiction, according to canon law.

The Catechism is a thorough collection of the Church's doctrinal doctrines and teachings, which declares, "God bestows personal dignity to both men and women when they are created as human beings. Both men and women should embrace and respect his sexual identity."

On Saturday, December 25, 2021, Pope Francis gives the Urbi et Orbi Christmas Day blessing from the main balcony of St. Peter's Basilica at the Vatican.

On Saturday, December 25, 2021, Pope Francis gives the Urbi et Orbi Christmas Day blessing from the main balcony of St. Peter's Basilica at the Vatican.

"Everyone, man or woman, should be aware of and accept his or her sexuality. The benefits of marriage and the flourishing of family life are focused on physical, moral, and spiritual diversity and complementarity. The way complementarity, needs, and mutual support are lived out between the sexes has an impact on the couple's and society's harmony "according to the Catholic Church's Catechism

Martin told Fox News that by sending the letter arguing for puberty blockers, he did not want to imply that he was endorsing them; rather, he was merely expressing an independent perspective.

Martin told Fox News, "Sorry, but tweeting out remarks from a group of pediatricians isn't an endorsement." "I believe that procedures such as 'puberty blockers' should be avoided, and that a person's age should be considered when considering what should be done. I'm not an expert on this, but few people are, which is why it's critical to pay attention to what doctors have to say.

"Why wouldn't we want to listen to doctors?" he continued.

Gender ideology and transgenderism have been criticized by Pope Francis as a disordered attempt to resist "the order of creation."

"The family is challenged by increased efforts by some to redefine the fundamental institution of marriage, by relativism, by the culture of the transitory, and by a lack of openness to life," Pope Francis remarked in 2015.

"Think of nuclear weapons, of the ability to destroy a large number of people in a matter of seconds," the pontiff added in the same year. "Think about genetic modification, life manipulation, or gender theory, which ignores the sequence of creation."

Bishops, with the exception of the Pope, have the authority to suspend the faculties of any priest acting under their jurisdiction.