Pope Leo Signals Support for Pope Francis’ Pro-LGBTQ Agenda

Just months into his papacy, Pope Leo is already charting a familiar and for many Catholics, deeply troubling course continuing Pope Francis’ campaign to soften the Church’s stance on LGBTQ ideology.

On Monday, Pope Leo met with Fr. James Martin, a Jesuit priest widely known for promoting progressive interpretations of Church teaching, especially when it comes to LGBTQ issues. After the meeting, Martin was quick to praise the new pope’s openness, claiming that Leo expressed a desire to continue the same “welcoming” tone set by his predecessor.

“The message I received from him, loud and clear, was that he wanted to continue with the same approach that Pope Francis had advanced, which was one of openness and welcome,” Martin wrote on his website.

This meeting held at the Apostolic Palace lasted roughly 30 minutes and was described by Martin as “joyful” and “encouraging.” But for many faithful Catholics who still hold to traditional doctrine, it’s another signal that the Vatican is drifting ever further from the clear moral teaching the Church has upheld for centuries.

A Troubling Pattern of Continuity

• Fr. James Martin has built an entire ministry around “LGBTQ inclusion,” frequently challenging the Church’s long-standing moral teachings on sexuality and marriage.

• Pope Francis, during his tenure, opened the door to this narrative, famously telling a gay man in 2018, “God made you that way and loves you as you are.”

• Now Pope Leo appears to be picking up right where Francis left off echoing the same talking points, and signaling no return to doctrinal clarity.

While Pope Leo’s handlers are quick to point out that he hasn’t changed Church teaching which still holds that any sexual act outside of marriage between a man and a woman is sinful the messaging strategy has clearly shifted. The focus is on inclusion, openness, and avoiding moral confrontation, even as the cultural revolution sweeps through churches, schools, and seminaries.

Let’s be clear: the Church has never taught that people with same-sex attraction are unwelcome. But there’s a chasm between welcoming sinners and validating sin. That line is increasingly blurred under this new era of Vatican diplomacy.

In 2012, long before he was Pope Leo, Cardinal Robert Prevost (his birth name) criticized what he called the “homosexual lifestyle.” But today, that past is being rewritten to fit a more palatable, progressive mold.

Even Martin acknowledged that Pope Leo’s attention may be divided, with wars in Ukraine and Gaza occupying the Holy Father’s focus. But make no mistake the groundwork is being laid for continued ideological shifts.

This isn’t about hatred or intolerance it’s about the integrity of doctrine. The Catholic Church has stood for millennia as a moral compass, offering spiritual truth, not cultural appeasement. The recent trajectory threatens to dilute the Church’s role into that of just another voice echoing the spirit of the age.

By elevating voices like Fr. James Martin and signaling continuity with Francis’ ambiguous messaging, Pope Leo is muddying the waters of doctrine at a time when clarity is desperately needed.

The question faithful Catholics must now ask is: Where is the line? If the Church no longer draws it, then who will?

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