Pope Leo XIV has met with two of the most prominent voices in the debate over the Church’s approach to LGBTQ+ Catholics, Dominican Sr. Lucia Caram and Jesuit Fr. James Martin, S.J., in separate audiences at the Vatican last week.
According to LifeSite News, Sr. Caram, a Dominican nun from Argentina known for her controversial positions, was received in a private audience on August 28. The meeting was not listed in the Vatican’s daily bulletin and was only made public after Vatican Media published photos of the encounter. LifeSite reported that “Caram is known for her openly heretical, pro-LGBT, and pro-abortion positions” and in past interviews has stated that homosexual couples should be able to “marry in the Church” and that “hell does not exist” (LifeSite News).
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Two days later, Pope Leo held an officially announced audience with Fr. James Martin, a Jesuit priest and author who has long advocated for LGBTQ+ inclusion in the Church. According to the Associated Press, Martin said the Pope “encouraged his ministry” and indicated he intended to continue Pope Francis’ policy of welcome. Martin described the meeting as “wonderful… very consoling and very encouraging and frankly a lot of fun” (AP News).
The AP further reported that Pope Leo told Martin that “all people are welcome in the church,” quoting Pope Francis’ well-known line “todos, todos, todos,” meaning “everyone, everyone, everyone.” The Vatican placed this meeting on the official schedule, signaling the Pope’s intent that the encounter be public.
Reactions to these meetings have been mixed. Some Catholics expressed concern that Pope Leo may be continuing what they see as Pope Francis’ controversial approach to LGBTQ+ issues. LifeSite quoted commentators calling the events “a nightmare scenario” for those who had hoped for a change of direction. Others, including Francis DeBernardo of New Ways Ministry, saw the meeting with Martin as “a strong indication that Leo affirms Pope Francis’ welcoming model and that previous repressive approaches are now just history” (AP News).
Pope Leo’s position on these issues had been unclear since his election earlier this year. As AP notes, remarks from 2012 surfaced in which he criticized the “homosexual lifestyle.” However, when he became a cardinal in 2023, he stated that while doctrine had not changed, “we are looking to be more welcoming and more open and to say all people are welcome in the church” (AP News).
The Vatican has not commented publicly on the content of either meeting. For now, faithful Catholics continue to watch closely as Pope Leo’s pontificate takes shape, seeking clarity on how he intends to balance pastoral outreach with fidelity to Catholic teaching.
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