Religion News Service

Pope Francis sent his support to a cloistered nun in his native Argentina who opened a safe home for transgender women despite the opposition of her diocese and community.

An article in a Jesuit magazine describing alleged exploitation of nuns in Catholic convents has been criticized as an attempt to silence members of women's religious orders who have begun to speak out against sexual abuse by priests.

It has been more than four years since the Missionary Guadalupanas of the Holy Spirit first began their legal battle against California's requirement that insurance plans cover abortions. For the most part, the sisters had hit brick walls and disappointments — until last month, when the Trump administration brought attention to their efforts and the state's response.

Aida Sansor and Maria Teresa Pacheco have traveled the Eastern Coachella Valley area, seeking to connect with the indigenous Purépecha community. Sansor and Pacheco are with Missionary Guadalupanas of the Holy Spirit, a nonprofit corporation of Catholic women based in Mexico City.