Pope: Teaching Children About Trans People Is ‘Indoctrination’ and ‘Ideological Colonization’

But Also Warns Priests to Not Abandon Transgender People

Transgender people should not be abandoned and should receive support of the Catholic Church, Pope Francis says, while warning that teaching children being transgender is OK is unacceptable. 

“These people must be accompanied as Jesus accompanied them,” the Pontiff, speaking to reporters aboard the papal plane Sunday, said of transgender people.

“I’ve never abandoned them,” Francis said. “When someone who has this condition comes before Jesus, Jesus would surely never say ‘go away because you’re gay,'” he added, apparently equating being gay with being transgender, while suggesting both are “conditions.”

But the Pope also lashed out at those who accept transgender people and try to educate children about gender theory. The Pontiff, as the AP reports, called that “the ‘nasty’ tendency of schools to ‘indoctrinate’ children with the idea that their gender is something that can be picked and chosen and changed.”

Francis, as he has previously, also denounced entities that support schools abroad while insisting as a condition of that support they must present LGBT people in a positive light.

“It’s one thing if a person has this tendency and also changes sex. It’s another thing to teach this in school to change mentalities. This is what I call ‘ideological colonization,'” Francis told reporters. 

Clearly aware that his previous comments have made wild headlines, Francis urged reporters, “Please don’t write ‘The pope blesses trans.’ Please.”

 

Image by Mazur/Catholic Church England and Wales via Flickr and a CC license