Pope Francis tells trans youth that ‘God loves us as we are’ — even ‘if we are sinners’

Pope Francis told a young transgender person that “God loves us just as we are” in a new podcast released Tuesday by the Vatican. Francis’ comments were featured in the second episode of Vatican Media’s “Popecast” ahead of World Youth Day — a global event set to take place in Lisbon, Portugal, from Aug. 1 to 6. The leader of the Catholic Church listened and commented on audio messages left by young Catholics sharing their personal stories. In one of the messages, a transgender person named Giona spoke about the challenges of reconciling their gender identity with their Catholic faith. “God lov...