Cardinal Anthony Poola has joined the transgender community of Hyderabad, a southern Indian city, to cele-brate Christmas that many say has sent a message of inclusivity and Christian love for the margi-nalized. “True Christmas lies in embracing the poor and ne-glected, offering them accep-tance and dignity,” said Cardi-nal Poola, the Archbishop of Hyderabad and a member of the Vatican Dicastery for Pro-moting Integral Human Deve-lopment. The December 18 celebration was organized by the Hyderabad Archdiocese Social Service Society (HASS). Cardinal Poola distributed certificates to transgenders who completed jute bag-making training programs facilitated by the society. He also presented sewing machines to women from Self-Help Groups and distri-buted Christmas gifts to all 93 transgender participants, along with members of the women SHG groups. “This semi-Chri-stmas celebration serves as a powerful testament to the Church’s commitment to inclu-sivity, spreading the message of love, hope, and dignity for all, especially those on the peri-pheries of society,” the cardinal added. The society director Father Madanu Anthony said the program was “a witness to the Church’s commitment to serving marginalized commu-nities.” Transgender community is among the most marginalized groups, often facing discrimi-nation and rejection and the cardinal’s gesture has sent out a “powerful message of inclu-sion and compassion,” Father Anthony added.
India’s poor deserve better than this
Concerns are being raised about whether the needs of poor and marginalized communities in India are receiving enough attention in current government policies. Observers say
