Pope’s charity helps transgender prostitutes in Rome amid coronavirus fallout
- Elise Ann Allen and Paulina GuzikMay 1, 2020
In a file photo, prostitutes wait for clients in Castel Volturno, near Naples, Italy, Tuesday, Feb. 13, 2018. (Credit: Alessandra Tarantino/AP.)
ROME - Among the beneficiaries of the pope’s charity during the COVID-19 coronavirus outbreak are a small number of transgender prostitutes in Rome, who found themselves on the verge of homelessness and knocked on the door of their local parish for help. It was the parish priest, Father Andrea Conocchia, pastor of the Beata Vergine Immacolata church in Torvaianica, about 45 minutes southwest of Rome, who helped put them in touch with the papal almoner, Polish Cardinal Konrad Krajewski.
MY COMMENTS: The conservative blogs (and by that I mean what conservative means politically) are up in arms because Pope Francis and his social apostolate coordinator, Kardinal Konrad Krejewski (the next pope) are helping transgendered poor people who have lost financial support because they are street prostitutes and the Coronavirus and social/physical distancing has cut off (among other things cut off or added) their source of income.Most Catholic social apostolates don’t ask why people are poor and hungry and live on the streets. We know that it is drug and alcohol abuse, mental problems, and a whole host of other issues that has led to their state in life. We don’t ask if they are prostitutes, transgendered, members of gains, murderers, rapists, or the like. We offer them assistance and if it is a good Catholic social apostolate, offer them the Word of God, Catholic teaching and spirituality and a reason to allow God’s grace to rehabilitate them and restore them. If the latter things are lacking and only food, clothing and money thrown at them, along with shelter, then Rome we have a problem.
But you can’t use the Social Apostolate of the Church to force conversion or reconversion to the Church and Her Head, Jesus Christ. Jesus offers salvation; He doesn’t impose it.
Do SSPX parishes and FSSP parishes and traditional leaning OF parishes that offer EF Masses, like St. John Cantius in Chicago, offer a social apostolate to the poor and do they demand a moral lifestyle from the ecumenical and no faith at all poor they support?
2 comments:
Bee here:
I am not familiar with a formal group at St. John Cantius that has an outreach to poor people. I do know there is a group of people that pick up almost out of date food from some large grocery stores here like Marianos and Whole Foods, and delivers it to various soup kitchens run at other parishes, like St. Stanislaus Kostka and Our Lady of the Angels. I don't know what particular groups like the young adult group, Knights of Columbus, or the St. Paul Street Evangelization groups do to outreach to the poor. We do have parish seasonal drives, like a giving tree at Christmas and food drive at Thanksgiving.
I volunteer at the Little Sisters of the Poor nursing home. I went there on my own, seeking to do works of mercy. As I got to know the volunteers who are committed regulars, I found three of them are parishioners as St. John Cantius who I had not known were parishioners. And of the ladies who belong to St. Martha's Guild, in conversation it seems all of them have another volunteer thing they do; some at hospitals, some at soup kitchens, some with kids.
What I thought was interesting is that it seems to me more people who volunteer at the Little Sisters nursing home are spiritually conservative rather than progressive, and I have wondered about that. Maybe progressives volunteer for a different type of service, like working with migrants or homeless. I don't know.
God bless.
Bee
Sophia here:
Hi Bee. I want to thank you from the bottom of my heart for telling us so much about St. John Cantius and especially that it would be live streaming during the "locked out" period. I decided to check it out the very first Sunday without Public masses in my diocese. I was "hooked" right away! I now spend most of my Sundays there-at least 2 of these 3 Masses(9, 11, 12:30) as well as Vespers and Compline. I had never heard of a Latin High Mass (Ordinary Form) before, let alone "attended" one! What a wonderful Blessing to be able to attend Mass here every Sunday.
Pax
Sophia
Post a Comment