Hannah Brockhaus, Catholic News Agency
Tuesday, September 2, 2025
Pope Leo XIV met in a private audience with Father James Martin, S.J., at the Vatican yesterday. Martin is in Rome to lead a Jubilee pilgrimage for his LGBTQ ministry, Outreach. Despite the controversy over Martin’s ministry, Leo’s predecessor, Pope Francis, encouraged it both in private meetings with Martin and in letters. Martin’s ministry to people with same-sex attraction and gender dysphoria has been criticized by some Catholics, who say his approach minimizes or even conflicts with the Church’s teaching on sexual morality. He has also been criticized for promoting initiatives that some say affirm same-sex orientation as an identity.
