According to Catholicism.org, The Feast of the Circumcision is the day on which Christ first shed His blood for us and in which he was officially given his name, Jesus, meaning Savior(previously given by an angel). The rite of Circumcision was a required religious observance of the Jews, which we all know Jesus was when he was born. It was important for Jesus to follow all the requirements of the Old Law until it was abolished and the New Law was established.
It is also called the Octave Day of the Nativity of Our Lord since this day completes the 8th day and Octave of Christmas. It is interesting to note that 8 days after birth is also the most pivotal time for a circumcision to be performed since the level of Vitamin K in babies is highest on this day. Vitamin K is very important for the proper coagulation and clotting of blood in babies.
In many Catholic churches, this Feast is celebrated as a Solemnity of Mary, possible because it was one of her sorrows although mixed with joy. Mary knew that by having Jesus circumcised according to Jewish law, all Christians would see how incarnate Christ was by the shedding of His blood. It is celebrated as a solemnity of Mary because we are reminded on this day of Mary, the Mother of God, and the role that she played in the plan of our salvation.
Those are just a few of the reasons why Catholic celebrate this day in the Catholic Church. Some people also use this event in Christ’s life to justify modern day infant Circumcision, but it is important to note that they are actually completely different. Many parents are led to choose circumcision for their sons because they are convinced that it is the most hygenic and that it has other benefits. I always urge research in any important decision in your child’s life.
I will preface this by saying I know this is a controversial topic but feel free to read THIS POST for a reminder that everyone is not perfect.
Many Christians use the fact that Christ was circumcised as a child to justify it today. After all, wouldn’t we want our boys to be like Christ Himself? Did you know that as a Catholic, you cannot use this as a reason to circumcise? Disclaimer: Of course, I am not a Catholic priest and do not have authority to say what is or what is not a sin so feel free to consult your parish priest and ask. As any Catholic knows, a mortal sin requires a grave action and full consent. As such, I doubt any new parent who is just doing what they think is best for their child has committed any sin.
Today, while nontherapeutic male circumcision remains common in some places, as a general practice it is forbidden in Catholic teaching for more basic reasons of respect for bodily integrity.
Father John J. Dietzen. The Morality of Circumcision. The Tablet, Brooklyn, N.Y., 30 October 2004, p. 33.
But since circumcision is a part of Judaism and Jewish Law, it could possibly be considered a sin against our faith to use the reasoning that Christ was circumcised as reason enough to circumcise baby boys. After all, Judaism and Catholicism are completely different religions and we are not allowed to participate in the traditions and customs of other religions. Whether or not someone is culpable for a sin such as this is a judgement only God can make. Christ was only circumcised under the Old Jewish Law. When He shed His blood for us on the crucifix, He released every single person from the obligation to shed blood as a sacrifice for our sins. After all, with Christ’s Passion, we were freed from any obligation of the Old Jewish Laws. Baptism is the sacrament in the new law that replaces the circumcision of the Old Law so therefore circumcision is no longer required.
The Bible and Canon Law even have a few things to say about circumcision, of course always up for personal interpretation.
St. Paul stated clearly that we are not to circumcise on matters of Faith:
“For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision availeth any thing, nor uncircumcision: but faith that worketh by charity.” (Gal. 5:6).
“For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision availeth any thing, nor uncircumcision, but a new creature.” (Gal. 6:15)
“Nevertheless, each person should live as a believer in whatever situation the Lord has assigned to them, just as God has called them. This is the rule I lay down in all the churches. Was a man already circumcised when he was called? He should not become uncircumcised. Was a man uncircumcised when he was called? He should not be circumcised. Circumcision is nothing and uncircumcision is nothing. Keeping God’s commands is what counts.” (1 Corinthians 7:17-19)
All, therefore, who after that time [that is “after the promulgation of the Gospel”] observe circumcision and the Sabbath and the other requirements of the [Mosaic] law, it [The Catholic Church] declares alien to the Christian faith and not in the least fit to participate in eternal salvation, unless someday they recover from these errors.” (Denz. 712)
“Or is God the God of Jews only? Is he not the God of Gentiles too? Yes, of Gentiles too, since there is only one God, who will justify the circumcised by faith and the uncircumcised through that same faith.” (Romans 3:29-30)
Even the Council of Vienne(1311) prohibited it by declaring that Christians should not be lured into Judaism or circumcised for any reason.
The Council of Florence prohibited it as well: “All, therefore, who after that time [that is “after the promulgation of the Gospel”] observe circumcision and the Sabbath and the other requirements of the [Mosaic] law, it [The Catholic Church] declares alien to the Christian faith and not in the least fit to participate in eternal salvation, unless someday they recover from these errors.” (Denz. 712)
Canon Law: CCC No. 2297: Respect for Bodily Integrity –
“… Except when performed for strictly therapeutic medical reasons,
directly intended amputations, mutilations, and sterilizations performed
on innocent persons are against the moral law.”
Did you also know that circumcision back in Biblical times was completely different than what it is today? Modern circumcision takes much more skin off and can be seen as much more brutal to infant children than the tiny tip that was taken off in the days of Biblical circumcision. (Catholicism.org) Many people say that getting it done when they are babies means they don’t have to worry about it nor worry about the pain of the procedure as an adult. Did you know that the American Association of Pediatrics estimates that 99% of intact males will never have a medical need for a circumcision? Honestly, I’m curious as to why children, specifically babies, are thought of as not feeling pain as much as adults?Especially since babies that are so little cannot receive the proper anesthesia or pain medication for a major surgery. Yes, doctors can administer different numbing drugs and offer sugar water on pacifiers so many parents say their child didn’t cry at all. Perhaps, your child went into shock from the pain which is why he didn’t cry? I guess we will never know. Why not let the boys decide for themselves what to do with their body when they get older?
Did you know that Kellogg (the same one that created the cereal company) advocated for circumcision to help prevent what can be called “the solitary sin” which is just one of the reasons why it has become so popular in the US.
Did you know that in the US, it is estimated that over 100 babies die every year from complication of circumcision?(https://www.circinfo.org/USA_deaths.html)
Did you know that there are no medical benefits to circumcision? Some people believe circumcision needs to be done on babies to promote cleanliness and to reduce the chance of UTIs and cancer. Did you know that cleaning intact boys is actually as easy as wiping like a finger? Did you know that the UTI rate in girls is so much higher than boys and it is frowned upon worldwide for girls to be circumcised? In addition, is it worth the risk a baby’s life being one of the 119 per year that die from circumcision complications in order to avoid a possible UTI that can easily be treated with antibiotics?
Female UTI risk: 9.22%
Intact Male UTI Risk: 1.29%
Circumcised Male UTI Risk: 1.27%
From (Harper, M. and Fowlis, G. (2007) Management of Urinary Tract Infections in Men. Trends in Urology, Gynecology and Sexual Health, 12, 30-35.)
In regards to cancer and according to seer.cancer.gov, it is estimated that 118 per every 100k women get breast cancer while 1 out of every 100k males get penile cancer. If people are using circumcision to help prevent cancer, then why not perform preventative mastectomies as well on baby girls? Even the American Cancer Society discourages the American Academy of Pediatrics from promoting routine circumcision as a preventative measure for penile or cervical cancer. (American Cancer Society)
Did you know that foreskin has a purpose? I mean there’s got to be a reason God created boys in His image and likeness, right? So there shouldn’t be any need to alter that just to match what is popular today. Perhaps the foreskin has a benefit. For instance, did you know it has 16 functions? Perhaps, the 20k nerve endings that are cut off in circumcision do actually have a purpose as well. Perhaps look HERE! There is plenty of research out there if anyone wants to read about it.
Did you know that know that the AAP does not recommend routine infant circumcision and did you know that the United States is one of the only countries with a high circumcision rate? Worldwide, 70-80% of men are NOT circumcised. In 2010, the World Health Organization (WHO) estimated 30% of adult males worldwide (aged 15+) are circumcised, with about two-thirds of those being Muslims.
Many people have been convinced that it is required to join the military or to stay clean but neither have been proven to be true. The only reason it has become popular in the US is because of cultural reasons and probably because of the money involved.
“Doctors in peer
nations, by contrast, along with the medical associations that represent them,
tend to see the U.S. circumcision ritual as more of a cultural habit, not
something rooted in sound medical science.”
– Morten Frisch, Danish doctor and sexual health researcher
with particular interests in human rights, democracy and life itself.
Did you know many adult males have issues related to the circumcision done on them as an infant? I know of at least two people who have had issues as adults that I only learned about through someone mentioning their relatives having an issue or having to have surgery to fix something. What’s sad is that most men think it’s normal to have issues. I don’t routinely get into conversations about this topic though, but I’m sure there are so many other people out there that have had problems as well. I mean it’s not their fault they were circumcised as a child. I guess as a parent you have to ask yourself if you think circumcision has benefits enough that outweigh the extensive list of risks.
Did you know some studies suggest that circumcision has a detrimental and permanent effect on the brain?
Read here: https://www.iaim.net/extreme-trauma-from-male-circumcision-causes-damage-to-areas-of-brain/
And here: What Does it Do to our Kids? https://circumcision.org/circumcision-permanently-alters-the-brain/?fbclid=IwAR0UMsScleogWxfsZHrkUzQ9YxIJTR-bs6i7mdBAiPWoXYIzxbnDixz8ULY
And of course did you know you have a choice as a parent and perhaps your son should have a choice too? Of course many people don’t realize they can challenge a cultural norm. They don’t know that they have a choice. They don’t realize that circumcision is not popular in other countries because it doesn’t have any benefits. They don’t know that it is only popular in the US because of cosmetic and cultural reasons. Is it really normal that guys need to compare themselves to each other? Is that really a valid reason to justify circumcision ? That could also be like saying “Are you going to have a hysterectomy because your mom had one to prevent uterine cancer?” Or even a mastectomy because your mom had one?
There are soooo many regret moms out there who found out after the fact just how harmful circumcision is and wish they could go back and not have it done. I don’t write this to shame those mothers because the fact is most just didn’t know better and did whatever their doctor told them to do without doing research. Unfortunately, that is a common theme these days and in reality, moms need to take back their ability to research and make medical decisions! There are even men out there who have researched foreskin restoration to try to get some function back and they wish their parents hadn’t made such a significant body-altering decision for them.
Yes, I know there are plenty of people that will not agree with me, especially since I do live in the US and many of my readers are here too. I think they have just been brainswashed to go with what is the cultural norm but I can’t tell them that because they will definitely think I am crazy. Ha! But I mean, who doesn’t think I’m crazy at this point?
Please, please, please do your research on this important topic and make the decision on your own. Write down the risks, write down the benefits, discuss with your spouse. In reality, intact boys do not have any problems staying clean no matter what lazy people tell you. All you have to do is wipe like a finger. No need to retract or do anything complicated. In fact, please don’t ever retract a baby boy and read more about proper intact care HERE. It’s really not that hard to figure out.
Before you make such a life-altering decision for your son, please see if you can answer the questions below. Feel free to use the resources in the following links as well! After all, it is always better to be well-informed than uninformed.
Catholic Resources:
http://www.catholicsagainstcircumcision.org/
https://catholicism.org/ad-rem-no-283.html
Other Resources:
doctorsopposingcircumcision.org
savingyoursons.org
