By By Micheal Chukwuebuka
POPE Leo XIV, on Monday, met with one of the Catholic Church’s most prominent advocates for LGBTQ+ inclusion, offering encouragement for his ministry just days before a planned Holy Year pilgrimage of LGBTQ+ Catholics to the Vatican.
The Reverend James Martin, a New York-based Jesuit author and editor, said the Pope assured him he would continue Pope Francis’ policy of fostering welcome within the Church and urged him to carry on his advocacy.
“I heard the same message from Pope Leo that I heard from Pope Francis: the desire to welcome all people, including LGBTQ people,” Martin told the Associated Press after the audience. “It was wonderful, consoling, encouraging, and frankly a lot of fun.”
The half-hour meeting was officially announced by the Vatican, signalling that the Pope wished it to be made public.
The audience marked a significant gesture of continuity with Pope Francis, who, more than any of his predecessors, worked to make the Church more inclusive. From his 2013 remark “Who am I to judge?” regarding a priest alleged to be gay, to his authorisation of blessings for same-sex couples, Francis distinguished his papacy with a message of welcome.
Pope Leo XIV
During his 12 years as pontiff, Francis met several times with Martin, appointed him an adviser to the Vatican’s communications office, and included him in the global synod on the Church’s future. However, Francis did not alter official teaching, which continues to describe homosexual acts as “intrinsically disordered.”
Questions had lingered over Leo’s position. Shortly after his election in May, comments he made in 2012 resurfaced, in which he criticised what he called the “homosexual lifestyle” and the media’s role in promoting acceptance contrary to Catholic teaching.
When elevated to cardinal in 2023, Leo, then Robert Prevost, acknowledged Francis’ call for greater inclusion, noting: “He made it very clear that he doesn’t want people to be excluded simply on the basis of choices that they make, whether it be lifestyle, work, way to dress, or whatever.” Prevost emphasised, however, that doctrine remained unchanged.
Speaking after Monday’s meeting, Martin said he had always found Leo to be “open, welcoming, inclusive,” and was encouraged by the Pope’s emphasis on continuity. He added that Leo also underlined his priorities of peace and unity, citing the wars in Ukraine, Gaza and Myanmar.
Martin quoted Leo as reaffirming Francis’ message that the Church is open to “todos, todos, todos”—everyone.
Martin is co-founder of Outreach, a ministry promoting LGBTQ+ acceptance, which will join a major pilgrimage this Friday and Saturday organised by Italian LGBTQ+ Catholic group Jonathan’s Tent. The event, drawing some 1,200 participants, will include a Mass at a Jesuit church in Rome, celebrated by the deputy head of Italy’s bishops’ conference.
Although not formally sponsored by the Vatican, the pilgrimage appears on the Vatican’s official Holy Year calendar. Officials stress that inclusion on the calendar does not imply endorsement, but serves as logistical support for groups making pilgrimages to pass through the Holy Door of St Peter’s Basilica.
Nevertheless, Martin said the pilgrimage and his audience with the Pope both send a consistent message: “that Jesus reaches out to people on the margins.”
He added: “The message I received from Leo was that if people were happy with Pope Francis’ approach to LGBTQ Catholics, they will be happy with Pope Leo’s. He asked me to continue what I’m doing, which was very encouraging.”
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