It's more than a tad performative. Where I live in Michigan, trans people who are living their gender have no access to any Catholic sacrament. Neither do gay people in committed sexual relationships.

In fact, that's pretty par for the course around the United States and much of the rest of the world.

Nothing has changed. This new policy has loopholes in it wider than barn doors, specifying the sacraments "may" be offered (not must be offered) on the condition that they not cause scandal.

"Scandal" in this sense is a very specific Catholic word, meaning actions or teachings that would lead people away from the "truth" Catholic leaders are convinced they have a monopoly on.

But the thing is, when that Catholic bishop near me announced that queer people are ineligible for all sacraments, he already did so on the grounds that offering sacraments to us would be "scandal."

If Pope Francis genuinely wanted to do something positive, he would fire that bishop in all the other dozens or even more bishops in the United States with similar policies. He would order that queer people must be offered sacraments, not that we "may" be offered sacraments.

Francis is a snake when it comes to forked-tongued double speak. On the one hand, he says the most vile, disgusting things about trans people. When it comes to trans issues, he's just a vicious piece of s***.

Then he offers this meaningless sop that none of his bishops are required to follow?

I have only one thing to say to Francis: "Thanks for doing next to nothing, you transphobic pig."