Member-only story
Pope Francis Changed Things for LGBTQ+ Catholics. What Happens Now?
His death marks the end of an era that reshaped the Church’s relationship with queer Catholics
As thousands filed past Pope Francis’s body in St. Peter’s Basilica on Tuesday, among the mourners were members of a community whose relationship with the Catholic Church has long been fraught: LGBTQ+ Catholics.
Francis’s passing at 88 of a stroke early Monday morning ended a remarkable 12-year papacy that defied easy categorization, particularly regarding his approach to homosexuality and gender identity. In death, as in life, the pope leaves behind contradictions that reflect his complex legacy for queer Catholics, who now face profound uncertainty about their place in the church’s future.
LGBTQ+ Catholics are in this weird liminal space now. Amidst an increasingly global conservative political climate, the church offered a glimpse of hope. Now, many queer Catholics wonder if everything gained could vanish overnight.
The Pope Who Changed the Conversation
What made Francis’s approach to LGBTQ+ issues unique wasn’t doctrinal innovation but a profound shift in pastoral emphasis.
