On the first day of the recent Papal Conclave, and the day before Pope Leo was elevated to the seat of St. Peter as the Bishop of Rome.
As the Roman Catholic Church turned its attention to the selection of a new Supreme Pontiff following the death of Pope Francis on April 21st, Canon Theologian Rob Lee sat down with his friend Fr. James Martin and recorded an interview. Fr. Martin was at the Vatican covering the election of the new Pope for America Magazine, where he is Editor-at-Large. Fr. Martin is also a well-known, bestselling author and founder of Outreach, a resource for LGBTQ+ Roman Catholics and their families.
Father James referred to Pope Francis as an imperfect friend of LGBTQ people and spoke of his good humor and his ability to put people at ease in his presence. He said his hope for the next pope was that he be pastoral, and Father James reminded us that no matter who the pope is or what their attitudes toward LGBTQ people might be, that LGBTQ people are and will remain part of the Roman Catholic Church.
You can hear that interesting interview between Father James Martin and the Reverend Dr. Canon Rob Lee IV by visiting sunshinecathedral.org/news/jamesmartin
