Rome Makes Another Ridiculous Declaration

Yesterday, a department of the Vatican released a condemnation of gender change surgery. It said the surgery harmed "human dignity." The first celebrity, Christine Jorgenson, had the surgery. Christine had dignity.  

For goodness sakes, what is "human dignity?" It seems to be if a human cannot live happily with the gender he/she was assigned at birth, "dignity" is achieved, not harmed, by dressing and having surgery that moves one to the correct identity. 

I'm reading a book just now, "I Heard Her Call My Name; A Memoir of Transition" by Lucy Sante. Her name until she was in her sixties was Lue. She told of being alone as a child and dressing up as a girl and looking at her(him)self in the mirror. She thought if only she could tell people she is a girl they would think her pretty. The book described the decades of delay she choose before finally announcing her late-life gender change. 

When I was on the national board of Parents and Friends of Lesbians and Gays I spent time with a another board member from Louisianna. She told of her life as a man, filled with distress. As a man, she tried twice to commit suicide. She transitioned when she was in her late twenties. Her Southern Catholic family included five brothers, a sister and her mother. All of the men refused to attend an family gathering if she was present. Only her sister and mother befriended her. When I knew her she struggled to be employed and resigned from the board because it involved time away from work she could not afford. While her life was difficult, making the transition improved what Rome would call her "human dignity."

Why on earth does the Vatican think it must take a position against such a complex matter? It could take no position and merely say the Catholic Church is there to help people no matter their life's journey. Instead, it is compelled to butt in where it knows nothing and is not wanted. It did not find pedophile priests important enough to report to authorities. Some schooling in ranking issues would help. 

This announcement by Rome is yet more evidence Christianity will remain on a long downward path. When it cannot find the right way to address an issue of human suffering its future will remain dark.