Pope Francis declared that “God loves us as we are” while responding to a question from a transgender youth, Vatican media confirmed Tuesday.

Rating: Transneutral, Washington Examiner, July 25, 2023 (PDF archive) (HTML archive)

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Pope Francis declares ‘God loves us as we are’ while speaking with transgender person | Washington Examiner

Pope Francis declared that “God loves us as we are” while responding to a question from a transgender youth, Vatican media confirmed Tuesday.

The pope made the comment in a podcast in which he heard and replied to messages from Catholic youth ahead of a festival in Portugal, according to a report.

One question came from a young Italian person named Giona.

Giona, who was identified as someone in their 20s, was “torn by the dichotomy between [Giona’s] faith and transgender identity,” according to the report.

The “Lord always walks with us. … Even if we are sinners, he draws near to help us,” Francis said. “The Lord loves us as we are. This is God’s crazy love.”

Members of the LGBT community are to be treated with respect, compassion, and sensitivity, according to teachings, the report noted.

Francis has operated under this belief and has even said, “Who am I to judge?” when questioned about the gay community.

Still, the head of the Catholic Church maintains that marriage is only to be considered a union between a man and a woman.

The LGBT community is expected to be a topic of discussion this October at the world summit of bishops, according to the report.