A few days ago, something quietly historic unfolded behind the Vatican walls: Pope Leo XIV shared lunch with a group of trans women, among them Italian Catholic activist Alesia Nobile. It was part of the Jubilee of the Poor, but for many queer Catholics: it felt like a moment charged with possibility.
Nobile, who had confirmed the invitation earlier in November, approached the meeting with a mix of serenity and purpose. “I hope this lunch will be an opportunity to speak to him and ask him not to backtrack on rights,” she told La Stampa. Her words came from experience: she once shared a personal friendship with the late Pope Francis, a bond she says “changed everything.”
"Pope Francis immediately became a light in my journey as a believer… He always wanted the front row for us transgender women,” she recalled. And now, stepping into Leo’s papacy, her message was just as direct: “I would say to him, ‘I’m Francis’ friend, do you want to be the father of all of us transgender women?’”
Leo XIV, the first U.S.-born pope, has so far walked a cautious line. Earlier this year he reaffirmed that marriage “is between a man and a woman,” while still upholding blessings for same-sex couples — a practice introduced by Francis. In recent months he has also met LGBTQ+ advocates like Fr. James Martin and welcomed pro-reform group We Are Church to Vatican celebrations for the first time.
For Nobile, Leo’s restraint isn’t discouraging. “They say ‘silence is consent,’” she said. “I’m sure that Pope Leo shares Francis’s work and is just waiting for the right moment to embrace our reality… And I feel in my heart that that moment is near.”
In a world where queer communities continue to face backlash, this lunch isn’t a revolution. But it is a gesture. And gestures matter: they open doors, soften edges, and slowly widen the space where we can exist, speak, and be seen.
Sometimes, a shared meal is more than a meal. Sometimes, it’s the start of a new conversation.
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