Pope Leo met with a Catholic advocate from the LGBTQ2S+ community, reaffirming his commitment to upholding the welcoming approach initiated by Pope Francis.
Pope Leo XIV Meets with LGBTQ+ Advocate Rev. James Martin
In a significant move, Pope Leo XIV recently met with Rev. James Martin, a prominent advocate for LGBTQ2S+ inclusion in the Catholic Church. The Vatican itself announced the meeting, signifying that Pope Leo wanted it made public.
The encounter took place just days before LGBTQ+ Catholics participate in a Holy Year pilgrimage to the Vatican. Taylor Marshall, a podcaster, posted the official Vatican photo of the meeting on X.
Martin, who helped found Outreach, a ministry promoting LGBTQ2S+ acceptance, will participate in the Holy Year pilgrimage. The pilgrimage includes a Mass at the Jesuit church in Rome, celebrated by the second-highest member of the Italian bishop's conference.
Pope Leo used Francis' famous line in Spanish about the church being open to everyone, todos, during the meeting. Martin, who has always found Pope Leo to be "a very open, welcoming, inclusive person," shared that the Pope encouraged him to continue his advocacy for LGBTQ2S+ inclusion.
The meeting comes at a time when Pope Leo's stance on LGBTQ2S+ Catholics was previously uncertain. Remarks surfaced from 2012 in which the future pope, then known as the Rev. Robert Prevost, criticized the "homosexual lifestyle." However, when he became a cardinal in 2023, Prevost acknowledged Francis' call for a more inclusive church but underlined that doctrine had not changed.
Some conservatives expressed consternation about Pope Leo XIV's meeting with Rev. James Martin. John-Henry Weston, co-founder of the LifeSite news site, called the audience a "nightmare scenario." Francis DeBernardo, executive director of New Ways Ministry, called the audience a great first step.
The Vatican announced that the meeting between Pope Leo and Rev. Martin was a half-hour long. It's worth noting that the pilgrimage is listed on the Vatican's calendar of Holy Year events, but Vatican officials say such a listing doesn't signify endorsement.
Pope Leo's priorities, according to Martin, are to work for peace and unity, citing conflicts in Ukraine, Gaza, and Myanmar. This meeting marks a step forward in the Catholic Church's ongoing dialogue about inclusivity and acceptance.
