Q. 1. Are Catholic boys circumcised?

A. 1. The decision to circumcise or not to circumcise their sons is left to the parents in the Catholic Church. Some Catholic boys are circumsed while others are not, depending on the preference, the cultural background, the family tradition and the belief of the parents.

The Catholic Church currently maintains a neutral position on the practice of non-religious circumcision, and has never addressed the issue of infant circumcision specifically. The Church has remained neutral about biblical male circumcision, neither requiring it, nor forbidding it. It is known that the Jews, the Moslems and some African tribes practice circumcision for religious reasons. Some physicians recommend circumcision for reasons of health and cleanliness. But the fact remains, the Catholic Church does not prohibit circumcision providing it is not performed as a condition of becoming a Catholic or to be saved.