Your Progressive Pope, Part Wev in an Ongoing Series

[Content Note: Christian supremacy.]

La la la the pope is totes progressive:

In comments that will likely rile the more conservative wing of the church, Francis suggested that in engaging in that dialogue, Catholics shouldn't be arrogant in insisting that they alone possess the truth.

"To (have a) dialogue means to believe that the 'other' has something worthwhile to say, and to entertain his or her point of view and perspective," Francis wrote. "Engaging in dialogue does not mean renouncing our own ideas and traditions, but the pretense that they alone are valid and absolute."

Oh, fabulous. So that means the Pope is now pro-choice and pro-marriage equality, positions which allow people to follow their own equally valid principles on reproduction and family, irrespective of their personal choices on those topics? NO?! Huh.

The Vatican scramble-spinner was quick to clarify that the Pope was not "making an official policy statement on interreligious dialogue, noting that the message was merely a reflection, 'not a conciliar or dogmatic text'."

Welp, at least he's getting all kinds of neat credit (again) for "riling conservatives," for basically just saying that other people's beliefs aren't total garbage.

The Pope also had a few words about the internet:

Francis said the Internet offers "immense possibilities" to encounter people from different cultural and traditional backgrounds and show solidarity with them.

"This is something truly good, a gift from God," he wrote. But he warned: "The desire for digital connectivity can have the effect of isolating us from our neighbors, from those closest to us."

First of all, everyone knows that the internet is not a gift from God; it's a gift from Al Gore.

Secondly, you know how I feel about the whole "the internet disconnects us" meme. Which is that it's a bullshit universal assertion. Also: The fact that people with marginalized beliefs in predominantly Christian countries—whether atheism, agnosticism, or religions other than Christianity—often connect and organize online specifically in response to Christian supremacy (and, in some cases, the very real threat of harm by Christian supremacists) is maybe something that should register with a Christian religious leader who purports to care about not overwhelming people with his denominations' beliefs.

He called for communications in the digital era to be like "a balm which relieves pain and a fine wine which gladdens hearts" and for the church's message to not be one of bombarding others with Christian dogma.

Ha ha that's funny because usually after dealing with a bunch of conservative Catholic harassers on the internet, I use fine wine as a balm to relieve the pain.

Just kidding. I use cheap wine.