Chicago Catholics Hope for LGBTQ+ Outreach from Pope Leo

While some Catholics have voiced uncertainty over Pope Leo’s potential reception of LGBTQ+ individuals–particularly in light of his comments at the end of May affirming that family is founded on the “stable union between a man and a woman–” many Chicago Catholics have expressed hope that he will continue outreach to the LGBTQ+ community as Pope Francis’ did.

According to the Chicago Sun Times, Catholic ministers and advocates in the new pope’s hometown are maintaining careful optimism, acknowledging the need for patience.

Katherine Abel

Katherine Abel, co-founder of Affirmed, an LGBTQ+ affirming ministry based at St. Clement’s parish in the Lincoln Park neighborhood of Chicago notes that Pope Leo “hasn’t addressed the subject head on yet. It’s something he won’t change on a whim. … There is still room and I’m just kind of waiting on bated breath.”

Abel notes that t was not until several months into Pope Francis’ papacy that he  famously remarked “Who am I to judge?” in regards to gay priests. It was more than a decade  before he permitted priests to bless people in same-gender relationships. Abel maintains her hope that, in time, the new pope will likewise signal greater acceptance for LGBTQ+ Catholics. 

Rick Garcia

Rick Garcia, former director of Catholic Advocates for Lesbian and Gay Rights and co-founder of Equality Illinois, an LGBTQ+ advocacy group, similarly grounds his hope for Pope Leo’s approach in Pope Francis’s example, noting that Pope Francis’s emphasis was always on accompaniment and dignity, not on changing the Church’s teaching on marriage. Garcia stated:

“Francis did not change the teaching of the church. He just changed the way we look at people and the way we treat them with dignity,” Garcia said. “Will [Pope Leo] be like Francis and talk about the inherent dignity of people who are gay, lesbian and trans? Or will he be focused on gay people’s genitals and what they do with them?”

Rev. Michael Pfleger

Rev. Michael Pfleger, longtime pastor of Saint Sabina Church in Chicago’s Auburn Gresham neighborhood, expects that though the Church’s doctrinal position on gay marriage may remain the same, Pope Leo will continue Francis’s legacy of LGBTQ+ outreach. Pfleger remarked:

“In doctrinal issues [like gay marriage], I don’t see the present pope being much different. In terms of inclusion and reaching out, I think, yes, that he will do that and continue to open his arms to folks who come into the church.”

Many of these advocates point to Pope Leo’s comments on upholding the dignity of all people, and the fact that he acknowledged Pope Francis’s call for a more inclusive Church during Francis’s pontificate. 

For these Catholics and so many others, the hope for greater inclusion, acceptance, and love for LGBTQ+ folks comes as a gift of the Spirit and a belief in a God who will never abandon them. Joining with these Catholic ministers and advocates, we can continue to pray for our new Pope, that he will heed the cries for justice and guide the Church in truly including all of God’s people, following in the footsteps of Pope Francis. 

—Phoebe Carstens, New Ways Ministry, July 10, 2025