Transgender sex worker expresses gratitude to Pope Francis for restoring her sense of humanity

Pope Francis hosted a group of transgender women for lunch at the Vatican on the Church's World Day of the Poor, highlighting his efforts to make the Catholic Church more inclusive. The invitation to the Vatican would have been unthinkable before his papacy, but it grew out of a relationship with a local Catholic priest who had offered assistance to transgender women during the pandemic. The Pope's inclusive stance has faced criticism from conservative Catholics, but he has updated the Church's stance to permit transgender people to be baptized, be godparents, and act as witnesses to religious weddings. The transgender women expressed gratitude for feeling more accepted and human through their relationship with the Pope and the Church.