Pope Francis has selected a Jesuit priest known for his LGBTQ advocacy to take part in a weeks-long gathering of bishops and laypeople later this year.
The Rev. James Martin was one of several high-profile U.S. clerical leaders to be appointed by Francis to participate in the synod of bishops, a closely watched and likely consequential meeting that will focus on issues regarding the mission of the Catholic church.
This year’s meeting will run from Oct. 4-29. A second session is scheduled for October 2024, after which Francis is expected to release a document considering all ideas proposed by delegates in a three-year-long process.
On Thursday, the Vatican published a list of all the bishops, priests, nuns and laypersons who were invited to participate in this year’s gathering.
The selection of Martin — the editor-at-large of the Jesuit magazine America, and a prominent advocate of LGBTQ inclusion — was seen as “hopeful” by New Ways Ministry, a U.S.-based organization that advocates for justice and equality for LGBTQ Catholics.
“Father Martin, well-known for his LGBTQ+ ministry, is a clearly positive voice,” Francis DeBernardo, the group’s executive director, said in a statement shared with the Daily News.
However, the announcement was also a “disappointment” for some LGBTQ Catholics.
According to DeBernardo, five church leaders in the U.S. who “have made negative statements on LGBTQ+ issues” were also selected by the pope — including Cardinal Timothy Dolan, the archbishop of New York.
Additionally, since non-episcopal voices will be allowed to vote in the assembly for the first time this year, this would be a “prime opportunity for openly LGBTQ+ people to express the joys and challenges of their faith with other leaders in the church.”
But according to DeBernardo, no openly LGBTQ person is included in the list.
The Argentinian-born pope has shown a certain degree of openness toward LGBTQ Catholics compared with his predecessors. Nevertheless, in early 2021, Francis allowed the publication of a Vatican document declaring that the Catholic Church wouldn’t bless same-sex unions because God “cannot bless sin.”
