Pope Leo XIV affirms commitment to LGBTQ+ inclusion following meeting with advocate

Pope Leo XIV met with Reverend James Martin, a respected advocate for LGBTQ+ inclusion in the Catholic Church, at the Vatican. The meeting suggests a commitment to building upon the legacy of Pope Francis in fostering a more welcoming and inclusive environment for LGBTQ+ Catholics.

Reverend Martin, a Jesuit priest and editor of America Magazine, described the meeting as "very encouraging," stating that Pope Leo expressed a "desire to welcome all people, including LGBTQ+ people," echoing the stance of his predecessor.

"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.”

As reported by The Independent, the Vatican publicly announced the half-hour meeting, which took place in the apostolic palace, underscoring Pope Leo's intention for transparency. The meeting was held just days before an LGBTQ+ Catholic pilgrimage to Rome, further symbolizing a message of welcome. Martin described Pope Leo as "joyful, relaxed and serene" in a post on X, accompanied by photographs of the two.

Pope Francis previously distinguished his papacy by taking steps to make the Church more inclusive for LGBTQ+ Catholics, most notably by allowing priests to bless same-sex couples.

While the Catholic Church maintains that LGBTQ+ individuals deserve respect and dignity, and that same-sex attraction is not inherently sinful, it still holds that sexual relations outside of heterosexual marriage are against the Church's teachings.