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Vatican Publicizes León XIV’s Meeting With Jesuit James Martin in Early Signal of Openness

Official notice turned a private meeting into a symbolic nod to LGBT outreach without altering church teaching.

El reverendo James Martin, un jesuita radicado en Nueva York, posa para una fotografía durante una entrevista con The Associated Press en las afueras de la Plaza de San Pedro, en Roma, el lunes 1 de septiembre de 2025.
Pope Leo XIV waves upon his arrival at the St. Augustin Basilica in Rome, Monday, Sept. 1, 2025, to address his fellow Augustinians at the start of their global assembly. (AP Photo/Domenico Stinellis)
Papa León XIV junto al sacerdote jesuita James Martin.

Overview

  • Pope León XIV received U.S. Jesuit James Martin in a private audience at the Apostolic Palace on September 1, and the Vatican press office listed the meeting in its official bulletin.
  • Martin said he was encouraged to continue his pastoral work with LGBT Catholics and described the conversation as jovial and consoling.
  • Commentators see the publicized audience as a sign of possible continuity with Pope Francis’s outreach, while León XIV has not stated his position on the 2023 decree permitting case-by-case blessings of same-sex couples.
  • The encounter coincided with Jubilee 2025 events that include an LGBT pilgrimage known as the Jubileo Arco Iris, with organizers expecting around 1,000 participants and a Mass at the Church of the Gesù led by Bishop Francesco Savino.
  • Martin reported that the pope voiced concern for global peace, citing Ukraine, Gaza and Myanmar, and that they exchanged gifts including rosaries, blessings and two icons.