In a rare and unpublicized meeting at the Vatican on Saturday, Pope Francis faced calls to overturn the Catholic Church’s ban on gender-affirming care for transgender individuals. The 80-minute private gathering took place at the pope’s residence and included LGBTQ activists, a Catholic sister who works with the community, a transgender man, and a US medical doctor specializing in gender-affirming care.
Michael Sennett, a transgender man from Boston, shared his personal story with the pontiff, expressing the joy he finds in being both a transgender individual and a practicing Catholic. He discussed the positive impact of hormone replacement therapy and surgeries that have helped him feel more comfortable in his body.
“The joy that I have from these treatments is profound,” Sennett said, highlighting the significance of gender-affirming care for transgender individuals.
The meeting, which was organized by the US-based LGBTQ Catholic advocacy group New Ways Ministry, comes six months after the Vatican’s doctrinal office rejected gender-affirming care, stating that it could undermine the dignity of individuals from conception. LGBTQ advocates criticized the Church’s stance, noting that the Vatican had not consulted transgender individuals before making its decision.
Cynthia Herrick, an endocrinologist from Missouri who helps run a clinic providing gender-affirming care, also participated in the meeting. She emphasized the importance of listening to transgender people when shaping Church policies. “The pope was very receptive and empathetic,” Herrick noted, adding that Francis expressed his desire to focus on the well-being of individuals.
Sister Jeannine Gramick, co-founder of New Ways Ministry, echoed this sentiment. She remarked that the encounter symbolizes progress in the Church’s approach toward LGBTQ people, saying, “The church is joining the modern era.”
Pope Francis has been recognized for adopting a more inclusive approach toward the LGBTQ community, allowing priests to bless same-sex couples on a case-by-case basis. However, earlier this year, he faced criticism after using a derogatory Italian term for LGBTQ people, for which the Vatican later issued an apology.
Despite the meeting, the Vatican’s press office did not provide any immediate comment on the event.