When Pope Francis visits Giuseppe Salvia Detention Center near Naples, Italy on Saturday, his itinerary will include something he specially requested-- lunch with the inmates.
Of the 90 selected to dine with the pope, multiple will be from the part of the prison that gay, transgendered and HIV-positive inmates call home, according to ReligionNews.com.
Originally, Pope Francis was not supposed to have lunch during the visit at all, let alone with inmates. The 90 people meeting him were all selected at random in a raffle.
The decision is the latest one from Pope Francis that highlights how progressive he is, as Religion News points out:
"One of his signature phrases, 'Who am I to judge?,' came in response to a question about whether a gay man could be a priest. And in late January he met privately in the Vatican with a transgender man from Spain who had written to Francis about the rejection he was experiencing in his home parish."
Prisoners will prepare the food, and Pope Francis will meet with all 90 inmates individually.
