Pope Leo XIV took a step to show that he would continue Pope Francis’s policy of welcoming the LGBTQ community to the Catholic Church.
The pontiff met on Monday with Rev. James Martin, a priest known for his LGBTQ advocacy, according to the Associated Press. Martin is also known for his book, Building a Bridge: How the Catholic Church and the LGBT Can Enter Into a Relationship of Respect, Compassion and Sensitivity. In it, Martin suggested that Catholics foster a relationship with the LGBTQ community instead of identifying them as “the other” and welcome them to the Catholic community.
Martin expressed optimism after meeting with Pope Leo XIV and was pleased that he was interested in continuing Pope Francis’s outreach efforts with LGBTQ people.
“I heard the same message from Pope Leo that I heard from Pope Francis, which is the desire to welcome all people, including LGBTQ people,” Martin told the Associated Press. “It was wonderful. It was very consoling and very encouraging and frankly a lot of fun.”
Martin was named a Vatican adviser during Pope Francis’s papacy and met with him multiple times, according to the Associated Press. He reportedly met with the pope for approximately 30 minutes.
The meeting with Martin and the subsequent decision to follow Pope Francis’s policy of welcoming LGBTQ members marked a pivotal moment for Pope Leo XIV. Previously, while recognized in the Catholic Church as Rev. Robert Prevost, he was critical of the “homosexual lifestyle” in comments from 2012, the Associated Press reported. Prevost also condemned popular culture, societal, and media efforts that went against Catholicism and promoted the acceptance of homosexual relationships.
However, his opinions reportedly evolved when he became a cardinal in 2023, echoing Francis’s doctrine regarding LGBTQ people in the Catholic Church. He supported the pope’s policy of not excluding people and admitted that Francis had influenced his views.
POPE LEO URGES END TO ‘PANDEMIC OF ARMS’ IN PRAYER FOR MINNEAPOLIS SHOOTING VICTIMS
“Given many things that have changed, I would say there’s been a development in the sense of the need for the church to open and to be welcoming,” then-Cardinal Prevost said, “and on that level, I think Pope Francis 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.”
“Doctrine hasn’t changed, and people haven’t said, yet, you know, we’re looking for that kind of change, but we are looking to be more welcoming and more open, and to say all people are welcome in the church,” he added.