Silent and Smiling, Pope Offers an Opening to ‘Transgender’ Advocates, by Phil Lawler 

By Phil Lawler, Catholic Culture, Oct 14, 2024

Phil Lawler has been a Catholic journalist for more than 30 years. He has edited several Catholic magazines and written eight books. Founder of Catholic World News, he is the news director and lead analyst at CatholicCulture.org.

No, Pope Francis has not said that the Catholic Church should end her opposition to sex-change operations. But he has:

• Agreed to a meeting with advocates of “gender-altering therapy” arranged by Sister Jeannine Gramick of New Ways Ministry, “wanted Pope Francis to hear directly from transgender and intersex Catholics and those who support them.”

• Issued no public statement that would express reservations about the arguments the “transition” advocates had made.

• Declined to reaffirm the teaching—issued only a few months ago in Dignitas Infinita—that “any sex-change intervention, as a rule, risks threatening the unique dignity the person has received from the moment of conception.”

• Provided an opportunity for Sister Gramick to announce that as she had sought—and the Pontiff “eagerly accepted the opportunity”—the Pope had listened to “the voice of the Holy Spirit calling the Catholic community to break out of old, ill-informed teachings and practices.” …

Continue reading >>>>>>>>