内容摘要：It wasn’t until last week — after the number of cases grew to more than 700, and a second young child in Texas had died from a measles infection — that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention finally issued its correspondence.

It wasn’t until last week — after the number of cases grew to more than 700, and a second young child in Texas had died from a measles infection — that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention finally issued its correspondence.

Transgender women, from left, Claudia Vittoria Salas, Andrea Paola Torres Lopez and Carla Segovia speak as they sit in the Beata Vergine Immacolata church in Torvaianica, Italy, on Nov. 16, 2023. (AP Photo/Andrew Medichini, File)Transgender women, from left, Claudia Vittoria Salas, Andrea Paola Torres Lopez and Carla Segovia speak as they sit in the Beata Vergine Immacolata church in Torvaianica, Italy, on Nov. 16, 2023. (AP Photo/Andrew Medichini, File)

“Before, the church was closed to us. They didn’t see us as normal people. They saw us as the devil,” said Colombia-born Andrea Paola Torres Lopez. “Then Pope Francis arrived, and the doors of the church opened for us.”The pope’s mixed legacy was epitomized by the Vatican’s 2023 synod bringing together hundreds of bishops and lay people to discuss the church’s future. The advance agenda mentioned LGBTQ+ issues; one of Francis’ hand-picked delegates was the Rev. James Martin, a U.S.-based Jesuit and prominent advocate of greater LGBTQ+ inclusion.Pope Francis presides at a Mass for the closing of the 16th general assembly of the synod of bishops, in St.Peter’s Basilica at the Vatican, Oct. 29, 2023. (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino, File)

Pope Francis presides at a Mass for the closing of the 16th general assembly of the synod of bishops, in St.Peter’s Basilica at the Vatican, Oct. 29, 2023. (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino, File)of the three-week synod, there was no mention of LGBTQ+ people — reflecting the influence of conservatives who opposed Francis’ overtures to that community.

During the synod, the pope met with a small delegation from the Maryland-based New Ways Ministry, which advocates on behalf of LGBTQ+ Catholics in the U.S.

According to the group’s executive director, Francis DeBernardo, the pope urged them never to lose hope — a message DeBernardo repeated after being disappointed by the synod’s outcome.’ Emmy Award. “I grabbed both my parents’ watches and my dad’s dress watch,” which she had given to her son Cooper for his 18th birthday.

She also managed to pack a few pieces of clothing. “All our belongings are crammed into three tote bags, three large canvas bags, and several Macy’s plastic bags along with a CVS bag,” she said.The fire completely devastated her property. “We lost everything. The only thing that survived is our front gate and the barbecue,” Rivers shared.

She described the scale of destruction as unimaginable.“It’s so much more than just the homes — it’s an entire town wiped off the map,” she said. “Many businesses in Palisades were family-owned. There are people who not only lost their homes but also their businesses and livelihoods.”