In a rare move from the Vatican, Pope Leo the Fourteenth is set to meet with We Are Church International, a reform group pushing for women priests and LGBTQ inclusion in Catholic life. The Vatican announced that members of the group will “meet with Pope Leo the Fourteenth and walk through the Holy Gate” as part of this year’s Holy Year celebrations. Their visit comes during the Jubilee of Synodal Teams, scheduled from October 24th through the 26th. Founded in Rome back in 1996, We Are Church International, or WAC, is now a global coalition. Its work centers on equality for women, for lay members, for married Catholics, and for queer people.
Colm Holmes, chair of the group, said, “We are this year celebrating 30 years since our foundation. We are committed to the renewal of the Roman Catholic Church based on the Second Vatican Council (1962-1965) and the theological spirit developed therefrom.”
The group is expected to not only participate in Vatican events, but also meet face-to-face with Pope Leo.
WAC co-founder Christian Weisner told Vatican Radio, “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.”
This meeting is seen as a hopeful moment for LGBTQ Catholics, especially since Pope Leo has previously insisted that family is “founded upon the stable union between a man and a woman.” While he has shown skepticism toward reforms, he has confirmed that blessings for same-sex couples will remain. For queer Catholics and allies, the October meeting marks an important opportunity: a chance for dialogue at the very heart of the Church.
