“The first time a group of transsexuals came to the Vatican and saw me, they left crying, saying that I had given them my hand, a kiss... As if I had done something exceptional for them. But they are daughters of God!». These are the words of Pope Francis that appear in an interview with Vida Nueva given before leaving for Lisbon, where World Youth Day is being celebrated.
And yesterday the Catholic association Arco íris ("rainbow"), promoter of LGBT rights in the Catholic world, celebrated a mass with the intention of affirming, within the world event, the presence of a "rainbow" community indeed, within the Church. But the mass, announced for weeks in the convent of San Domenico in Lisbon, was transferred at the last minute to a parish in the more peripheral district of Ameixoeira. The reason: threats received from an organization of Catholic fundamentalists, who tried to disturb the ceremony even in the new chosen space. Attempt failed only thanks to the intervention of the police.
During mass, many faithful wore the typical yellow T-shirts of WYD volunteers and a flyer was distributed at the entrance with the message: "In the WYD we found strength and put down roots".
(Unioneonline/ss)
