Pope Leo Receives Courage Representatives at the Vatican
Pope Leo XIV
After 13 years of working towards a papal audience, Courage, a group that ministers to queer Catholics and supports them in living celibate lives according to traditional Church teaching, received an audience with Pope Leo XIV earlier this year.
“The message of Courage is that we’re all called to be saints,” says Father Colin Blatchford, Courage International’s associate director, in an interview with Crux. “Your orientation really doesn’t matter in the end.”
Pope Leo received a delegation of four leaders of the organization: Bishop Frank Caggiano, chair of the Courage International Episcopal Board; Father Kyle Schnippel, head of the Courage International Executive Board; executive director Father Brian Gannon; and longtime Courage member Angelo Sabella. A Courage press release described the meeting as “a momentous occasion.”
Father John Harvey, OSFS, the founder of Courage, accompanied lesbian and gay Catholics for decades before he founded the first Courage chapter in New York in 1980
Since that time, Courage has grown to over 160 chapters, with Courage International in 15 different countries. It has also sprouted a companion group, enCourage, which accompanies the family members of queer Catholics. Permission from the local bishop is needed to form a Courage chapter in a diocese, but not all bishops allow a chapter to be formed.
Courage has not escaped controversy over the years. (See some examples below.) Although officially the ministry does not support conversion therapy, in some chapters Courage chaplains have counseled members to seek out such interventions.
Moreover, the ministry uses the words “same-sex attracted” instead of “orientation” to describe a person’s sexual desires. This attraction has often been viewed as a psychological defect, and some chapters employed a 12-Step approach to remaining celibate, as if a person’s desires were an addiction. No other formal ministry in the church is focused around sexual behavior.
Because of these and other reasons, some bishops prefer other models of LGBTQ+ ministry in their parishes, instead of one that is focused primarily on sexual behavior. Other forms of ministry emphasize viewing other needs of LGBTQ+ people, such as reconciling with the church, deepening relationship with God, integrating people into their social contexts, and overcoming guilt and shame that has developed because of closeted existences. Over the past decade or so, many LGBTQ+ ministries have taken the approach of recognizing and celebrating the spiritual gifts that LGBTQ+ people bring to the church.
Pope Leo’s meeting with Courage representatives is the second time in his as yet brief papacy that he has met with leaders of LGBTQ+ ministry. The first time was his meeting in September 2025 with Father James Martin, SJ, whose approach to ministry focuses more on integrating LGBTQ+ people into parish contexts than in following the Courage model.
–Lynnzee Dick and Francis DeBernardo, New Ways Ministry, February 27, 2026
A Sample of Bondings 2. 0 posts about Courage controversies
Catholic High School Cancels Controversial Courage Ministry Speaker…For Now
Is the Courage Model Appropriate as LGBTQ Ministry?
Seton Hall Removes Link to Courage from Website
A Question of Language: ‘Same-Sex Attraction’ vs. ‘Gay or Lesbian’
Thanks for posting about the Pope meeting with representatives. Any opening seems viable for the inclusion of LGBTQ people who are pretty much excluded from a lot of parishes.
Jesus never turned his back on those who came to him in Love and with Hope. Please don’t be afraid to continue the meetings and being open to listening. We are all walking fotwards PEACE.
Courage is not a gay and lesbian ministry it is Catholicism’s answer to the ex-gay movement. Members are taught not to use the words gay and lesbian, but rather to say they have “same sex attraction”. They are taught not to tell anyone that they’re gay. Their parents’ ministry called Encourage tells parents not to invite their son/daughter’s partner to holiday dinners, making them choose between the partner and the family. They run summer “sports camps” which have the goal of making the male members act more masculine by playing sports. One of their leading priests, who spoke at a Courage conference i attended years ago along with Fr Harvey the founder, was Fr. Donald Timone, a priest of the Archdiocese of New York. Fr. Timone was removed from ministry not long ago due to a creditable accusation of sexual abuse, 18 years after it was initially reported. This inaction was thought to be due to the intervention of the recently retired Cardinal Dolan. Another speaker at this conference was Dr. Nicolosi, a noted reparative (conversion) therapist, now deceased. This is not an affirming group for gay and lesbian people.
Thank you Fred, for shining a light on who this group really is.
It takes courage to remain celibate. It also takes courage to remain faithful and loving in a committed relationship, including a same-sex marriage.
Celibacy is a discipline required for Catholic religious, and should not be required as a doctrine for queer people.
The Church is teaching kindergarten level rule following. It would be nice to see the Church treat adults with respect, teaching that conscience, and the work of the Holy Spirit reign supreme when it comes to love.
A reminder to the hierarchy: God is love.
Re: “sports camps” making men more masculine, I guess the US Women’s Hockey team didn’t get the memo. LOL!