[1/4] Carla and Claudia Victoria, transgender women, sit inside the Blessed Immaculate Virgin Church in Torvaianica, near Rome, Italy, November 16, 2023.
But for transgender women who live there it had seemed light years away until a rapprochement with the Catholic Church that began during the COVID-19 lockdown and led to an invitation to have lunch with Pope Francis on Sunday.
Claudia Victoria Salas, 55, and Carla Segovia, 46, both Argentinian, were in a group of transgender people, among about 1,200 poor and homeless people, who attended the lunch on the Church's World Day of the poor.
As well as sending money, the cardinal arranged for them to have COVID vaccinations in the Vatican and to meet the pope.
On Sunday, Conocchia arrived at the Vatican on a bus with about 50 poor from his parish, including transgender people, both foreign born and Italian.
Persons:
Carla, Claudia Victoria, Antonio Denti, Pope Francis, Claudia Victoria Salas, Carla Segovia, Salas, Francis, Father Andrea Conocchia, Conocchia, " Salas, Segovia, Philip Pullella, Barbara Lewis
Organizations:
Immaculate Virgin Church, REUTERS, VATICAN CITY, Catholic Church, Immaculate, Thomson
Locations:
Torvaianica, Rome, Italy, VATICAN