This Group Of Trans Women Thank Pope Francis For Making Them ‘Feel Human’

Pope Francis – the head of the Catholic Church, the bishop of Rome and sovereign of the Vatican City State – had lunch with a group of transgender women on Sunday. His gesture of welcome for transgender Catholics made them ‘feel human’.

Claudia Victoria Salas, 55, and Carla Segovia, 46, were in a group of transgender people, who attended the lunch on the Church’s World Day of the poor. Claudia Victoria Salas, a former trans sex worker, was seated opposite Pope Francis at the main table in the auditorium. The gesture made her feel human. 

Trans Women Thank Pope Francis For Making Them ‘Feel Human’

Carla Segovia, 46, a trans sex worker, said, “We transgenders here in Italy feel a bit more human because the fact that Pope Francis brings us closer to the Church is a beautiful thing.”

Carla Segovia said that trans women needed some love. Trans women now make monthly visits to Pope Francis’ Wednesday general audiences. 

Many Latin American migrants who work as prostitutes joined 1,000 other poor and homeless people in the Vatican auditorium. It was the latest step from the Pope to reach out to the LGBTQ+ community.

Andrea Paola Torres Lopez, a Colombian transgender woman, said, “Before, the church was closed to us. They didn’t see us as normal people, they saw us as the devil.”

Andrea Paola Torres Lopez said that Pope Francis arrived and the doors of the church opened for the trans women. 

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LGBT rights in the Church

LGBT rights has taken center stage in the bishop of Rome and sovereign of the Vatican City State. Earlier this month, the Vatican’s doctrinal office issued a statement, saying that transgender women can be godparents at Roman Catholic baptisms.

Trans women can now participate at religious weddings and receive baptism themselves. LGBT rights advocates in the church praised the Pope. However, conservatives slammed the Pope.

However, trans women hailed the Pope. They said, “This is a fantastic opportunity for all of us transsexuals.”