In a clear sign Pope Leo XIV intends to continue his predecessors engagement with the LGBTQ+ community, the new pontiff on Monday met with Jesuit Father James Martin, founder of the Catholic LGBTQ+ ministry Outreach.I was honored and grateful to meet with the Holy Father this morning in an audience in the Apostolic Palace and heard the same message I heard from Pope Francis on LGBTQ people, which is one of openness and welcome, Martin told the Catholic News Agency. I found the pope serene, joyful, and encouraging. Related Pope Leo will bless people in same-sex unions despite having once decried the homosexual lifestyle It was wonderful. It was very consoling and very encouraging and, frankly, a lot of fun, Martin told the Associated Press.Dear friends: I was profoundly grateful for my audience at the Apostolic Palace with the Holy Father @Pontifex this morning. The message I received was that Pope Leo will be continuing with the same openness and that Francis showed to LGBTQ Catholics. I found Leo to be joyful, pic.twitter.com/igrY6kSjGF James Martin, SJ (@JamesMartinSJ) September 1, 2025 Never Miss a Beat Subscribe to our newsletter to stay ahead of the latest LGBTQ+ political news and insights. Subscribe to our Newsletter today The Jesuit priest met with Leos predecessor, Pope Francis, on several occasions over the course of his papacy.In a post to his Outreach website, Martin said the message he received from Leo loud and clear was that he wanted to continue with the same approach that Pope Francis had advanced.It was very much a hopeful message of continuity, he said.This is, in Pope Leos mind, naturally tied to synodality, the idea that the church must listen to people from all walks of life (including LGBTQ people) to become more open, more listening, more welcoming and more inclusive. Again, this is very much in line with Pope Franciss desires and hisfamous words, todos, todos, todos to describe the church.Martin acknowledged that as head of the worlds largest church, Leo has a great many issues on his plate, including the wars in Gaza and Ukraine.He sees peace and unity as paramount in his ministry, Martin wrote. So while LGBTQ issues are on his radar, other things may be more pressing for the time being. And even when addressing LGBTQ issues, he may not move as fast as some might like. By the same token, he may move far too fast for others. (In this, he would be like Francis as well.) But my overall sense is that he gets it and that he is ready to continue Franciss legacy of openness, and that is surely good news.I found Pope Leo to be tremendously at ease, even jovial, during our meeting, Martin recounted. It reminds me of something a friend said shortly after the popes election, when he spoke to the College of Cardinals, It seems like he was born for this!'Pope Francis appointed Martin as a consultant to the Secretariat for Communications at the Vatican in 2017, following the publication of Martins book Building a Bridge, based on a series of lectures the priest gave after his disappointment with Catholic leadership in the aftermath of the 2016 Pulse nightclub shooting in Orlando. I know that not everyone can meet with the pope (Im still amazed I have), or receive a blessing from Pope Leo, but I tried to bring in as many concerns of LGBTQ people before him as I could, Martin recounted.Overall, though, I hope that hearing about his desire to continue Pope Franciss legacy of openness will itself be a blessing to all LGBTQ Catholics and to their families and friends.Subscribe to theLGBTQ Nation newsletterand be the first to know about the latest headlines shaping LGBTQ+ communities worldwide.