Can the Pope Become More Irrelevant?

The headlines of an English newspaper implied that the Pope in an address for Christmas to his staff, perhaps a pep talk to them for the new year, said: "'Saving' humanity from homosexual or transsexual behaviour is just as important as saving the rainforests." My immediate response was doesn't he have anything more relevant to say at Christmas? Now I investigate further and find out that the paper largely exaggerated what was said. He actually said "marriage is another aspect of the planet that needs saving." Well ok, he could be saying a lot of things with that...stop living together without a ceremony, have more babies, or...stop finding someone of same sex to love....

I guess I still have to say...isn't there something more important to worry about? Wouldn't it be better to explore more deeply the needs people have for intimacy, and the beauty of the diversity for how we experience it? More affirmation, less condemnation? Seems like he is continuing to be irrelevant with so much poverty, global environment, and war in our midst.

He already has urged his Catholic followers to simplify their lives, become less materialistic....can't he see the irony here? Wouldn't he have to sell the Vatican riches and give the proceeds to the poor before anyone could possibly take him seriously?

If I ever wondered if I made the right decision to leave the Roman Catholic Church, I don't now. (Actually I never have second guessed that decision.) It seems to me that these kinds of pronouncements are keeping people from God, not taking them closer...for God, or ultimate wisdom, Truth with a capital T is about recognizing our common ground, not creating distance between us...it's about our oneness, not our fear of difference. It's about the joy and beauty of the bouquet of humanity, the different colors, cultures and orientations...what is to fear in that? Unless you are insecure, need control, need others to think as you do...

--well ok, we all are insecure, need control and need others to agree with us, but when you are the Pope, or any other kind of clergy you have a spiritual, ethical obligation to keep those amigdular needs under control so that you help god continue to reveal beauty and truth through the lives of all people, particularly those in minority groups.

I know, I just live in a different paradigm...