The meeting, facilitated by Sister Jeannine Gramick, co-founder of New Ways Ministry, centred on the personal testimonies of five individuals about their experiences as transgender and intersex Catholics.

One of the participants, Michael Sennett, a transgender man, shared his experience of being rejected by a priest at the age of eight for requesting to wear a suit instead of a dress during his First Communion.

"I cried because I was convinced God hated me" Sennett said. He spoke of his attempted suicide at 17 and how the support of a Catholic nurse helped him see a path forward in his faith and identity.

Another testimony came from Nicole Santamaria, an intersex woman from El Salvador, who highlighted the invisibility of intersex people, even within the LGBTQ+ community.

Santamaria's own experience of intersexuality and her Catholic faith informs her work with marginalised communities. She believes she is called to serve those often overlooked and misunderstood.

Although academic studies are disputed, it is estimated that about 1.7% of babies are born intersex.

More harm than good

Ray Dever, a retired Catholic deacon and father of a transgender woman, spoke about the struggles faced by transgender Catholics.

Dever said he noticed a "stunning lack of compassion within so much of the church for transgender people". This included people being excluded from the life of the church in many dioceses and parishes. They were also denied sacraments and turned away from Catholic schools.

"It pains me to say this but, right now, I think that we as a church are doing more harm than good in our approach to gender theory and transgender individuals" Dever told the Pope.

While Pope Francis has criticised gender theory, calling it an "ugly ideology" that erases differences, he has also condemned the mistreatment of LGBTQ+ people.

Earlier this year, the Vatican published Dignitas Infinita ("Infinite Dignity") which denounces discrimination based on sexual orientation and warns against gender theory and sex-change intervention.

Sources

America Magazine

CathNews New Zealand

The group, mostly Latin American migrants and often engaged in sex work, has received unprecedented support from the Vatican.

Under the guidance of the local parish priest, Rev Andrea Conocchia, these women now attend Francis' weekly audiences as VIP guests.

Recently, the group joined over 1200 other underprivileged individuals as guests for a special lunch at the Vatican, commemorating the Catholic Church's World Day of the Poor.

For these marginalised women, these gestures signify a newfound sense of inclusion within a church that historically kept them at arm's length.

Transgenders feel more human

"Before, the church was closed to us. They didn't see us as normal people. They saw us as the devil" said Andrea Paola Torres Lopez, a Colombian transgender woman. "Then Pope Francis arrived, and the doors of the church opened for us."

Claudia Victoria Salas, 55 and Carla Segovia, 46, both sex workers from Argentina, attended the lunch.

To her surprise, Salas found herself seated at the main table opposite the pope - who of course is also Argentinian.

"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" said Carla Segovia.

Francis' latest initiative was a document from the Vatican's doctrine office asserting that, under some circumstances, transgender people can be baptised. It also allows them to serve as godparents and be witnesses at weddings.

Polarised opinions

However the Catholic Church hasn't universally accepted Francis' stance on inclusivity. Conservative factions and some clergy members have challenged his approach, highlighting the polarised opinions within the Church.

For Canocchia, Francis' response to Salas and the others has changed him profoundly as a priest. It has taught him the value of listening and being attentive to the lives and hardships of his flock.

For the women, it is simply an acknowledgement that they matter.

"At least they remember us, that we're on Earth and we haven't been abandoned and left to the mercy of the wind" said Torres Lopez.

Sources

AP News

Reuters

CathNews New Zealand