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Pope Francis extended a personal invitation to a group of transgender women to join him for a luncheon at the Vatican, marking the Church’s annual World Day of the Poor. The event, which hosted approximately 1,200 people experiencing poverty and homelessness, took place in the Paul VI audience hall, underscoring the pontiff's consistent message of outreach to marginalized communities.
The guests included several transgender women from Torvaianica, a seaside town near Rome. This was not their first encounter with the Pope. An ongoing relationship began during the COVID-19 pandemic when the local parish priest, Rev. Andrea Conocchia, reached out to the Pope for help. Many of the women, primarily Latin American migrants and sex workers, had lost their livelihoods due to the lockdown. In response, the Pope, through his almoner, provided financial aid and other support. This established a lasting connection with the community, leading to several meetings and this recent invitation to lunch.
Attendees shared a meal of cannelloni, meatballs, and tiramisu at tables set up in the same hall used for the Synod of Bishops. One of the guests, Claudia Vittoria Salas, was seated at the Pope's table. According to reports, the women felt seen and welcomed. “What is beautiful is that it is a diverse world. And the church is opening its doors to this diversity,” said Andrea Paola Torres Lopez, a transgender woman from Colombia known as Consuelo.
This gesture is part of a series of inclusive actions by Pope Francis, which stand in contrast to the Vatican’s official doctrine. His recent initiatives have included affirming that transgender people can be baptized and serve as godparents. These actions have been praised by LGBTQ+ Catholic advocacy groups but have also drawn criticism from more conservative factions within the Church. The luncheon serves as a powerful symbol of Francis’s pastoral approach, focusing on encountering people on the peripheries. The event was widely covered as a significant step in the Pope's papacy, demonstrating a tangible commitment to his frequent calls for a more compassionate and inclusive Church.
