Any time Pope Francis talks with reporters on the papal plane, you know something interesting is about to happen. This time was no exception.

What strikes me about his comments isn't that he said anything new (he mostly reiterated traditional Catholic teaching on gender identity), but that he resisted making a blanket condemnation or speaking negatively about transgender people. Instead, he went where he usually does, encouraging personal dialogue, pastoral sensitivity and taking each situation as it comes.

I can't help but contrast that with the knee-jerk way many U.S. bishops have dealt with the issue. I wish they'd take a page from Francis' book and let their default mode be one of conversation rather than edict. It could only improve their low stock with U.S. Catholics.

One minor quibble about the headline. The pope never said that morality is determined case-by-case, which is not only misleading but bad theology. How 'bout we lighten up on the 'click-bait' headlines?