The Pope could be best friends with trans people after alll

16 July 2015
by Jane Fae

http://www.gaystarnews.com/article/the-pope-could-be-best-friends-with-trans-people-after-all/

Pope Francis may well turn out to be the best thing that has happened to the trans community, religiously speaking, in a very long while.

That may come as a bit of a shock to those who have been nodding along to the recent spate of alarmist 'insights' in the LGBTI press, and beyond, about how the Pope has depicted '->-bleeped-<-' as on a par with nuclear weapons in its dangerousness.

The problem is these insights are based on little other than second hand interpretation of remarks delivered in a very different context. In most cases this view is not supported in any official way within the Catholic church.

Someone who ought to know is Monsignor Keith Barltrop. He was recently tasked by the head of the Catholic Church in England, Cardinal Vincent Nichols, for expanding the church's LGBTI ministry.
...
'Insofar as the Church were to be involved in any individual's decision to transition, it would counsel caution, because this is not a step to take lightly: but it should be fully supportive of individuals who have made that decision.'

This is definitely one of the fears on my list keeping me from transitioning.   
My wife and kids have and are very active in our parish.   My wife is afraid that will end for us if/when I transition.

It would be wonderful to be able to remove this one for both my wife and I.

As religious leaders (past and present) go he is certainly not the worst. However he still has to be seen to tow the line.

When dealing with religious entities such as the Catholic Church, don't expect them to embrace you with open arms right away.

Remember, the Church takes YEARS to get around to fixing some of the old stuff. How long did they take to apologize to Galileo? Exactly. It was a whole 350 years. In the 80s when I was growing up, our church next to the school I went to had just gotten loudspeakers and microphones.

I think Pope Francis is taking some good steps but he can't just change things all at once. He also cannot do it by himself. This stuff takes time. But the good news is that it looks like things will get better and a lot faster than usual, at least in church time.

Finally, the church has no official doctrine on transgender people. This is what my priest told me. So it's not like they can find an official reason to excommunicate you because you are trans.

Quote from: RachaelAnne on July 19, 2015, 05:55:04 AM
This is definitely one of the fears on my list keeping me from transitioning.   
My wife and kids have and are very active in our parish.   My wife is afraid that will end for us if/when I transition.

It would be wonderful to be able to remove this one for both my wife and I.

  How can do that if they are a Christian Church? Don't they read the Bible? Why don't you just use the bible against them?   

  I am so sick of people claiming to be Christian while ignoring or even contradicting the teaching of Jesus. You don't need the Pope. Jesus has the answer if you know where to look in the New Testament

I don't understand the above post. 

I do know that I am Catholic and this makes a big difference to me.

Jennifer

Quote from: JLT1 on July 30, 2015, 07:58:58 PM
I don't understand the above post. 

I do know that I am Catholic and this makes a big difference to me.

Jennifer

  Sorry if I was vague and unfortunately I am going to have to leave you wondering for a little bit longer. What I want to do is start a separate thread for what I have come up with because I don't want it getting lost in a thread about the Pope. It will probably be very controversial because it contradicts 17 centuries of orthodoxy, but the orthodox interpretation is weird and even gets contradicted by other church teachings.

  There is an observation that Jesus makes on masculine behavior or more importantly the lack there of by some men,  that I think shows he clearly understood the phenomena of brain gender in a way that is supported by modern science. He even gives guidance on how his followers should react to what he is teaching that can be interpreted in a way that is consistent with what we know of his character and what he preached.