Pope Leo XVI is set to meet with representatives from a pro-LGBTQIA+ equality group.
Back in May, the religious figure made history when he was elected as the first US-born pontiff. His placement came two weeks after the passing of Pope Francis, who died after suffering a stroke that was then followed by a coma and irreversible cardiocirculatory collapse.
In his first public address, Pope Leo XVI said: “We want to be a synodal church, a church that moves forward, a church that always seeks peace, that always seeks charity, that always seeks to be close above all to those who are suffering.”
Since that fateful day, the new pontiff has dived headfirst into his holy tenure and is wasting no time to implement change.
On 14 August, the Vatican announced that eight representatives from We are Church (WAC) will participate in a Holy Year meeting of synodal teams and participatory bodies – describing it as “a first for the international church reform movement.”
The aforementioned reps will also be allotted time with Pope Leo XIV and “pass through the holy door,” which is described as a “powerful act of spiritual renewal.”
The landmark Jubilee celebrations are scheduled to take place from 24 October to 26 October.
Shortly after the news was announced, Christian Weisner of We are Church expressed excitement over the group’s inclusion while speaking to Vatican Radio.
“We were pleased that this meeting of synodal teams and bodies of the World Synod will also take place in the Vatican as part of the Holy Year, and that the invitation was open,” he said.
“After two major synodal assemblies in autumn 2023 and autumn 2024, it is important that the synodal spirit and synodal networking remain alive and become even more visible and tangible. This is what we hope for from the meeting, and are happy to contribute to it.
“Our patient work over 30 years, during which we have often been present in Rome at bishops’ synods, council commemorations, papal elections, and other events, may have contributed to this. I also see the passage through the Holy Door as a sign for the church as a whole: to leave mistakes behind and to set out again and again in Christian hope.”
Founded in 1995, WAC has committed itself to “the renewal of the Roman Catholic Church on the basis of the Second Vatican Council (1962-1965) and the theological spirit developed from it.”
The equality group, which is represented in more than twenty countries and has presence in or is cooperating with similar groups, has committed itself to five goals: Shared decision making, full equality for all genders, free choice between a celibate and non-celibate lifestyle, positive evaluation of sexuality and good news instead of a threatening message.
For more information about the LGBTQIA+ and women’s equality group, click here.