Your Progressive Pope

[Content Note: Transphobia; Christian Supremacy; disablism and gender policing and rape culture at links.]

Via Eastsidekate comes the latest evidence that Pope Francis is not exactly the neato progressive that the media is keen to tell us he is:

As Christians celebrated the Feast of the Holy Family in Poland after Christmas, their parish priests read them a letter signed by all of the Catholic Bishops of the Nation entitled The Dangers Stemming From Gender Ideology. It is strong, clear and directive...

In a separate letter, Bishop Kazimierz Ryczan of Kielce,addressing the Catholics of Slovakia, was even more direct in his language and analysis. He referred to gender ideology as a "contemporary Herod" which seeks to destroy the family. In an article published just this week on Kath.net entitled Pope Francis: The gender ideology is demonic (which I only have a google translation of) Bishop Andreas Laun of Salzburg expressed similarly strong opposition. He noted that Pope Francis had called the gender identity movement demonic.

From that translated article:

The gender ideology is present today, most especially in the so-called developed world, which is not obviously includes their reason.

The core thesis of this reason ill-product is the end result of radical feminism, the meanwhile the homolobby has appropriated. It is claimed: There is not just husband and wife, but also other "gender".

And even more: Every person can choose to be sex itself. If someone says this 30 years ago, the environment would have laughed and thought, the idea came from a surrealist cabaret program.

...Pope Francis has said to my question: "The gender ideology is demonic!" Over the top? No... [G]ender is the destruction of the people, therefore it has Pope Francis rightly called demonic.

"Gender ideology" is essentially shorthand for the existence of trans* people. Trans* people, by virtue of identifying themselves as trans*, are "demonic."

Insert all the mirthless jokes here about the Catholic leadership's fine understanding of radical feminism and transgender issues, that they imagine trans* acceptance is an extension of radical feminism. Whoooooops.

This, right here, is why I am pissed off with the garbage media narratives about how progressive and radical and super duper awesome Pope Francis is. He is the figurehead of one of the most powerful global institutions, which inexplicably retains its position as a moral authority, and he calls trans* people "demonic." That is not progressive. That is cruel and harmful and dangerous and indecent. It is explicitly dehumanizing. It is, per the Church's own position on demons, eliminationist.

Any chance the Advocate wants to walk back its Person of the Year award? No? Pretty cool with a dude who calls trans* people demonic? Sounds about right.