During last Wednesday’s general audience, Pope Francis met six transgender women, one Italian and five foreigners of various ages and backgrounds, as well as the mother of a transgender boy. They were accompanied by Sister Genevieve Jeanningros and two of her Kenyan nuns. They campaign for the liberation of transsexuals from prostitution.
The transsexuals belong to a community near Rome. Most of those affected come from Latin America and work as street prostitutes in Italy. “These are people who have suffered from their identity and from the contempt of the people,” the nun told the Vatican daily “L’Osservatore Romano”.
In April, the nun accompanied four other transgender people to a general audience with the Pope. In 2020 Francis gave financial support to the trans group in Torvaianica, south of Rome.
“They all have the same father”
Among the six transgender women Pope Francis met on Wednesday was Alessia Nobile, who presented the Pope with a copy of her book La bambina invisibile (The Invisible Girl), published by Castelvecchi. The book is about the reality of transgender people. Nobile told how the Holy Father called her not to get caught up in prejudice against the Church. “He didn’t want me to kneel, he shook my hand, and when I introduced myself as a transgender woman, he replied that he didn’t care who I was, that we all had the same father,” Nobile said. She posted a photo of their meeting on Instagram.
The Pope received her book and praised her for writing her story. “He always advised me to be myself, but not to get caught up in prejudice about the Church. We transgender people are often victims of prejudice, but we also harbor prejudice against others. We think the Church won’t accept us, so we’re not even looking to meet her. I felt welcomed by the Pope, held by the hand. The best thing about the conversation with Francis was that it was just a conversation between people, it wasn’t about our differences,” said Nobile.
Source: Krone
I’m Wayne Wickman, a professional journalist and author for Today Times Live. My specialty is covering global news and current events, offering readers a unique perspective on the world’s most pressing issues. I’m passionate about storytelling and helping people stay informed on the goings-on of our planet.
