Journalist’s Journey Back to Catholicism

James Longman, a foreign correspondent of ABC News in the U.S. described himself as “culturally Catholic.”

James Longman

In an interview with Instinct magazine, the British-born gay man said he moved away from the faith when he came to acceept his sexuality, but he still held onto some of the traditions:

“I’ve always considered myself culturally Catholic, if that’s a thing. I light candles for my Grandmaman whenever I’m in a church. I do the sign of the cross when I walk in. But it has never gone further than that.”

That was until Pope Francis, whose openness to LGBTQ+ people helped to rekindle the flame of faith in Longman.  But it wasn’t until the pope’s funeral when a strange “coincidence” happened as he and other journalists were covering the event from a building near St. Peter’s Square:

“Longman’s journey toward reconciling his faith took an unexpected turn when he met Father James Martin, a prominent Jesuit priest and advocate for LGBTQ Catholics. The two met on the roof of the St. Augustine seminary in Rome, where Longman was covering the Pope’s funeral. Their conversations were an antidote to Longman’s years of ambivalence, offering him a kind of solace that he hadn’t found in years.”

Longman said the encounter was very significant to him, and that a few weeks later when he had the opportunity to greet Pope Leo XIV after a meeting the pontiff had with journalists, he had another epiphany:

” ‘I was so moved by our conversations [with Father Martin], I used my few seconds with Pope Leo to tell him, “Fr. Jim says hi.”‘ This was more than just a casual greeting. It was a quiet reclaiming of the faith that had always been intertwined with his sense of self, even if he had to fight to find space for it. And, in that moment, Longman felt Catholic again—not because of the pomp or ritual, but because of the relationships, the compassion, and the gentle acknowledgement that, yes, he too had a place.”

Relationships. Compassion. Being offered a place.

Those three concepts should be memorized by all Catholic pastoral ministers and bishops to remind them that these are the strong fertilizers which help the seeds of faith grow into full flower.

And the Instinct reporter, Eugene Sun, closed the article with a reminder that should be remembered by church leaders and LGBTQ+ Catholics: that the path of faith is a meeting of our lives with God’s surprises:

“Longman’s journey is a reminder that faith, like identity, is not something to be handed to you—it’s something you find on your own terms. And sometimes, when you least expect it, the world offers you a few small miracles along the way.”

—Francis DeBernardo, New Ways Ministry, August 18, 2025