May a good Roman Catholic get a nose job? What about a tummy tuck? Or a breast enhancement? Does the tradition of Pope Francis, which has been getting such enthusiastic attention lately, have wisdom to offer about cosmetic surgery?

The church’s official catechism cautions believers not to “idolize physical perfection,” but never specifically mentions such operations. At least two popes have, however, raised the issue of cosmetic surgery. In 1958, Pope Pius XII said the morality of such surgery “depends on the specific circumstances of each case,” and in 1989 Pope John Paul II praised the “noble mission” of dental and maxillofacial surgeons, some of whose work involves cosmetic procedures.

“Women’s Cultures: Equality and Difference,” a working paper issued before the recent Vatican plenary assembly on women, was written by an unidentified group of women for the Pontifical Council for Culture. It offers a glimpse of the latest Catholic thinking about cosmetic surgery, and it seems to raise yet another issue of gender and sexuality for the young papacy of Pope Francis — already in the news for statements about homosexuality, abortion, divorce and birth control.

The document places cosmetic surgery in the context of modern media, advertising and body-image issues, bringing a Catholic perspective to a bioethical issue that other religious groups, including Jews and Muslims, are also finding inescapable.