The LGBT community took encouragement from the recent actions of Pope Francis, who met with a group of transgender people and gave them a welcome in a Roman church. It was during the Covid-19 outbreak that the Blessed Immaculate Virgin community in Rome’s Torvaianica neighborhood gave entry to transgenders. The Vatican’s newspaper featured quotes from Sister Genevieve Jeanningros and the Reverend Andrea Conocchia — who said the pontiff’s remarks were a beacon of hope to the transgender individuals.