Transgender woman’s role at Mass stirs controversy in Argentina

 | 
08/28/2020

Marking an historical first in Pope Francis’s home country, the Diocese of San Luis in northern Argentina invited a transgender woman Tuesday to read one of the prayer intentions at a public Mass celebrated by the local bishop. The invitation was issued to Francia López by civil officials to recognize the work she does among the city’s poorer, daily feeding 400 people from a soup kitchen she runs. It came without the advance knowledge of the new bishop, Gabriel Barba, who took over the diocese July 11, and who chose a small village outside of the diocesan metropolitan area to celebrate his first Mass. Due to COVID-19 restrictions as well as the small size of the town, there were only a few souls in attendance in that first liturgy: on a good day, no more than 100 people live in San José del Morro. At the end of Tuesday’s Mass, López told the media she saw the invitation as a “historic moment” and regarded it as “very hopeful, because it will allow us to build a Church as human beings, where the life options of diverse families have always encountered many obstacles to living their spiritual life.”

Share this:

Latest Global News

Added on: 12/04/2023
12/03/2023
The Premier League’s phenomenal global reach is a major contributing factor to the impact of Rainbow Laces. It’s difficult to quantify exactly how many people the …
Added on: 12/04/2023
12/03/2023
Hochemin Islam, a prominent transgender rights activist, was set to speak at “Women’s Career Carnival” on November 24 at the capital’s North South University …
Added on: 12/04/2023
12/03/2023
In a photo series titled “DESPERATE BELONGING,” one of the images features a figure in a qipao and black heels standing expressionless on the …

Explore LGBTQ+ Issues

Other News from ,

Added on: 12/03/2023
The election of right-wing libertarian Javier Milei as Argentina’s president has put LGBTQ+ campaigners on alert in the country, long one of the most …
Added on: 11/23/2023
On November 10-12, True Friendships Ministry (Portuguese: Ministério Amizades Verdadeiras) held its fifth national meeting, “Sexuality and the Church in the 21st Century,” at the …
Added on: 11/06/2023
For a third of his life — from the age of 14 to 27 — Héder Bello, now 37, lived in purgatory. He was engaged …