Hyderabad : Transgender persons are always victims of discrimination, and are either neglected or insulted. However, in a ray of hope, In accordance with Pope Francis' policies, the Church welcomed transgender persons in its sacramental life.
Pope Francis has underscored that transgender individuals can participate in baptisms, become official godparents and serve as witnesses for weddings in the Catholic faith.
The Hyderabad Archdiocese Social Service Society, initiated a pre-Christmas event, in which Cardinal Poola Anthony celebrated the birth of Christ with a gathering comprising hundreds of transgender individuals, Cardinal Anthony said they all should be embraced inclusively, breaking away from societal isolation. He said the essence of Christmas lies in the universal love of Jesus, who came into the world to embrace all of humanity.
Lalitha Tripura Sundari, from the community, said, “today we are happy that the society is accepting us and helping in getting into different trades. This is a true Christmas for us today.”
A feature of the event was distribution of jute bag machines to six transgender persons, who were trained in a three-month programme. Cardinal Anthony also distributed 65 dry ration kits.
He gave away beautician training certificates to 16 women, who completed a three-month course. As a gesture towards women empowerment, he provided sewing machines to 14 trained women.
