Pope Leo Signals Openness Towards LGBTQ Catholics, Holds Private Vatican Meeting

James Martin, the American Jesuit priest, has been welcomed in a private audience by Pope Leo XIV, who indicated he plans to continue his predecessor’s openness toward LGBTQ Catholics.

The 30-minute meeting “was very warm and welcoming and friendly and relaxed,” Martin told AFP ahead of a Jubilee pilgrimage of LGBTQ Catholics he intends to attend later this week, AFP reports.

“The message I got from Pop Leo was that he intends to continue Pope Francis’s approach of openness to LGBTQ people,” said Martin, who has often faced criticism from conservative church members for his outreach to sexual minorities.

During his 12-year pontificate, Francis called for a Church “open to all,” making numerous gestures toward LGBTQ Catholics, though he did not alter church doctrine.

His 2023 decision to authorise blessings for same-sex couples sparked backlash from conservatives, especially in Africa and the United States.

Martin said he had not brought up that subject with Pope Leo, who has not publicly commented on same-sex blessings since becoming pope on May 8.

“But he spoke about his desire to continue Francis’s legacy, which also includes synodality,” Martin explained, referring to fraternal collaboration among the Catholic faithful.

“And synodality means listening to people, listening to everybody, including LGBTQ people,” he added.

The Vatican officially announced the meeting but did not provide further details.

The pilgrimage of LGBTQ Catholics in Rome, scheduled for next Friday and Saturday, is part of the official Jubilee calendar.