Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary Parish

Pope Leo XIV greets the faithful gathered in St. Peter’s Square from the popemobile during his Wednesday general audience on Aug. 6, 2025. / Credit: Daniel Ibañez/CNA

CNA Staff, Sep 2, 2025 / 12:32 pm (CNA).

Pope Leo XIV’s prayer intention for the month of September is for our relationship with all of creation. 

In a video released Sept. 2, the Holy Father asked the faithful to pray “that inspired by Saint Francis, we might experience our interdependence with all creatures who are loved by God and worthy of love and respect.”

According to a press release, this month’s video was made in collaboration with the Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development.

In the video, Pope Leo recites an original prayer written specifically for this month’s prayer intention.

Here is Pope Leo’s full prayer:

Lord, You love everything You have created,
and nothing exists outside the mystery of Your tenderness.
Every creature, no matter how small,
is the fruit of Your love and has a place in this world.

Even the simplest or shortest life is surrounded by Your care.
Like St. Francis of Assisi, today we too want to say:
“Praised be You, my Lord!”

Through the beauty of creation,
You reveal Yourself as a source of goodness. We ask You:
open our eyes to recognize You,
learning from the mystery of Your closeness to all creation
that the world is infinitely more than a problem to solve.
It is a mystery to be contemplated with gratitude and hope.

Help us to discover Your presence in all creation,
so that, in fully recognizing it,
we may feel and know ourselves to be responsible for this common home
where You invite us to care for, respect, and protect
life in all its forms and possibilities.

Praised be You, Lord!
Amen.

The video prayer intention is promoted by the Pope’s Worldwide Prayer Network, which raises awareness of monthly papal prayer intentions.

The disciple John and Jesus in the new animated movie “Light of the World.” / Credit: Salvation Poem Foundation

CNA Staff, Sep 2, 2025 / 08:00 am (CNA).

A new 2D-animated movie, told through the eyes of Jesus’ beloved disciple John, will be released in theaters on Sept. 5, taking viewers from the beginning of Jesus’ ministry to his passion, death, and resurrection. “Light of the World” is the first movie from the Salvation Poem Project, a nonprofit ministry and independent studio that crafts stories to share Jesus Christ with the world.

Brennan McPherson, producer of the film, told CNA in an interview that his team chose to tell the story from John’s perspective because he was likely the youngest disciple so they believe his perspective is the most relatable.

“Telling it from the perspective of a young teenager — young kids want to age up and they see themselves in that. Teenagers are going through those formative years, so they relate with it. And then adults know what that formative time in their life was like. So it made it more appealing to a full family,” he explained. 

He added that the filmmakers “wanted to show how the Gospel changed a young boy’s life and how it can still change our lives today.”

For the filmmakers — who also create other forms of faith-based media — projects such as this one are an “an act of worship.”

“We’re nerdy animation lovers, and we wanted to make a beautiful animated film that honored God, that told the truth about the Gospel, and that could be used as a tool to share our faith with people in a way that’s nonthreatening and that is not just compelling but genuine and respectful towards the audience,” McPherson said.

“What we’re trying to give people is an experience of the goodness of Jesus and let that resonate on a heart level so that they can fall in love with him,” he added. 

When deciding what parts of Jesus’ ministry to include in the film, McPherson explained that filmmakers were trying to answer the question “How do you tell the basic big fundamental beats that make the Gospel totally clear to someone who’s had zero background?” 

With this in mind, all of the choices “were through the lens of how do we make the actual structure of the story basically symbolize the Gospel itself, show the Gospel in action, as opposed to just telling us about it.”

He also emphasized the importance the filmmakers gave to “the biblical accuracy, the theological accuracy, [and] making it accessible for children.”

As for what he hopes viewers will take away from the film, McPherson said he hopes “that they will see Jesus is beautiful and fall in love with him and decide to follow him with their lives.”

“We wanted to give people a very clear emotional experience of the Gospel so that it just poured into their hearts. We’re so busy in this culture these days that it’s hard to get people to stop and really think about the claims of Jesus, really consider who he was and whether or not he was true,” he said. “And so this is our way of just basically like, ‘Hey, this is the most beautiful thing to us. That’s what we want to spend our time making art about, and we hope that you see what we see in it.’”

Pilgrims gather in St. Peter’s Square for a Mass and canonization of 14 new saints on Sunday, Oct. 20, 2024. / Credit: Daniel Ibáñez/CNA

Birmingham, Ala., Sep 2, 2025 / 06:00 am (CNA).

EWTN News and EWTN Studios will join forces in Rome from Sept. 3–7 to televise the canonizations of Carlo Acutis and Pier Giorgio Frassati. In addition to the canonizations, viewers who want an in-depth look at the life and legacy of these two young saints-to-be will have the opportunity to tune in to 12 EWTN special programs, including animated children’s programs. 

Here’s what you can expect:

Viewers can tune in to “EWTN News Nightly” and “EWTN News In Depth” for an exclusive preview of the canonizations. “EWTN News Nightly” airs at 6 p.m. ET and 9 p.m. ET, Friday, Sept. 5; and “EWTN News In Depth” airs at 5 p.m. ET and 10:30 p.m. ET the same day.

EWTN News correspondent Colm Flynn will host a one-hour special from the rooftop of EWTN’s Rome studio, which overlooks St. Peter’s Square. 

Father Patrick Briscoe, OP, EWTN News’ guest expert on Carlo Acutis; Acutis biographer and EWTN Vatican correspondent Courtney Mares; and EWTN Vatican correspondent Kristina Millare will provide commentary on the canonizations and share reflections on the impact of Pope Leo XIV’s first saints. This will air at 1 p.m. ET and 6 p.m. ET on Saturday, Sept. 6, and 11 p.m. ET and 4 p.m. ET on Sunday, Sept. 7.

In the half hour leading up to the canonization Mass and the half hour after it ends, EWTN News Vatican correspondents will conduct live interviews and candid reactions with pilgrims from around the world. This will air at 9:30 a.m. ET on Sunday, Sept. 7, as well as 30 minutes after the Mass.

On Sunday, Sept. 7, Pope Leo XIV will preside over the Mass and canonizations of the two young blesseds from St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome. This will air live at 3 a.m. ET and the encore presentation will be at 6 p.m. ET on Sunday, Sept. 7.

For those looking to get to know these two soon-to-be saints better, EWTN will be airing a plethora of programs on the lives of Acutis and Frassati:

“Hiking in Search of Pier Giorgio Frassati”

Join EWTN’s Colm Flynn and Father Vincent Bernhard, OP, on a pilgrimage with young men ages 18–30 who follow the footsteps of soon-to-be-saint Pier Giorgio Frassati in Turin, Italy. The group prays in the shrine of Oropa, climbs to and celebrates Mass in the iconic Monte Mucrone, and visits the personal rooms of Frassati before celebrating Mass with his remains in Santa Maria Sopra Minerva. The program premieres at 6:30 p.m. ET on Wednesday, Sept. 3, with encores at 10:30 a.m. ET on Sunday, Sept. 7, and 1:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Sept. 9. 

“Giorgio — A Modern-Day Miracle Story”

The family of a comatose young adult finds the miracle they’ve been praying for after beseeching Blessed Pier Giorgio Frassati’s heavenly intercession. The show airs at 11:30 a.m. ET on Thursday, Sept. 4.

“Sanctity Within Reach: Pier Giorgio Frassati”

Christine M. Wohar and Wanda Gawronska (Pier Giorgio Frassati’s niece) explore the soon-to-be-saint’s spiritual life. The program airs at 5:30 p.m. ET on Thursday, Sept. 4, and at 2:30 a.m. ET on Friday, Sept. 5. 

“Blessed Carlo Acutis — From London to the World”

An EWTN documentary on the London connection to Carlo Acutis featuring his mother, Antonia, and Father Alexander Sherbrooke, whose dynamic parish in Soho mirrors Carlo’s intense devotion to the Blessed Sacrament. The documentary airs at 5:30 p.m. ET on Friday, Sept. 5, and at 2:30 a.m. ET on Saturday, Sept. 6. 

“I Am With You — A Documentary on Carlo Acutis”

Follow the life and witness of Carlo Acutis in this EWTN original documentary as his family, friends, and others discuss how Acutis continues to inspire people around the world. The documentary airs at 2 p.m. ET on Saturday, Sept. 6, and at 2 a.m. ET and 11 p.m. ET on Sunday, Sept. 7. 

“To the Top — Pier Giorgio Frassati”

Filmed in Italy, this docudrama chronicles the life and spirituality of Pier Giorgio Frassati, an Italian activist who put his Catholic beliefs into practice to help the poor and downtrodden in his hometown of Turin, Italy. The program airs at 8 p.m. ET on Saturday, Sept. 6, and at 1:30 a.m. ET on Monday, Sept. 8.

“Pier Giorgio Frassati — Get to Know Him”

Filmed in Italy and Poland, this powerful drama examines the exemplary life of Pier Giorgio Frassati, a young, joyful saint whose devotion and charity to the poor inspire the laity. The show airs at 3 p.m. ET on Sunday, Sept. 7. 

“My Catholic Family: Blessed Carlo Acutis”

When the children pick Blessed Carlos Acutis for a school presentation, they discover a normal 21st-century boy who also helped everyone he could and promoted Eucharistic miracles. The program airs at 9:30 a.m. ET on Saturday, Sept. 6.

“My Catholic Family: Pier Giorgio Frassati”

A man named Thomas and his wife, Helen, teach their children Alex and Sarah about the heroic life of Blessed Pier Giorgio Frassati, the patron of youth. The show airs at 10 a.m. ET on Saturday, Sept. 6.

Pope Leo XIV speaks at the Mass for the opening of the general chapter of the Order of St. Augustine on Sept. 1, 2025, at the Basilica of St. Augustine in Rome. / Credit: Vatican Media

Vatican City, Sep 1, 2025 / 14:38 pm (CNA).

Pope Leo XIV celebrated the Mass for the opening of the general chapter of the Order of St. Augustine on Monday evening, invoking the Holy Spirit to guide the religious community’s Sept. 1–18 assembly.

Nearly 100 Augustinian priests from around the world, who are participating in this year’s chapter, attended the pope’s Mass held inside the Basilica of St. Augustine in Rome’s city center. 

Religious sisters belonging to Augustinian orders also attended the Mass. Though the sisters will not participate in the chapter, the Holy Father extended his invitation to them to pray for the “gift of the Holy Spirit” and the “gift of listening” for the fruits of the religious assembly.  

During the Sept. 1 homily, Pope Leo — who wore red vestments for the votive Mass dedicated to the Holy Spirit — invited his confreres to focus on “listening, humility, and unity” and respond to God’s grace during the period of prayer and discernment within the order.

“The Holy Spirit speaks, today as in the past,” he said. “He does so in the ‘penetralia cordis’ and through the brothers and the circumstances of life.” 

“This is why it is important for the atmosphere of the chapter, in harmony with the centuries-long tradition of the Church, to be an atmosphere of listening: of listening to God and to others,” he continued.

Reflecting on the teachings of St. Augustine, the Holy Father said the Church doctor highlighted the need for unity and collaboration among Christian faithful for the “common good.” 

“Each single believer was speaking in all languages; and now the unity of believers is speaking in all languages,” he said, quoting St. Augustine. “And so even now all languages are ours, since we are members of the body in which they are to be found.” 

“Live these days, therefore, in a sincere effort to communicate and to understand, and do so as a generous response to the great and unique gift of light and grace that the Father of heaven gives you by summoning you here, specifically you, for the good of all,” he added.

While encouraging his brothers to “openly share what they have” during the 18-day chapter, he emphasized the importance of doing so with humility.

“Let no one think they have all the answers,” Leo said Monday.  

“Only in this way will the Spirit be able to teach and remind us of what Jesus said, inscribing it in our hearts so that its echo may spread from them, in the uniqueness and unrepeatability of every beat,” he added. 

In his reflection on the “miracle of Pentecost,” Pope Leo said St. Augustine observed that the Holy Spirit is the “protagonist” who creates unity amid diversity. 

“Just as spiritual people … take pleasure in unity, so worldly people are ever ready to wrangle,” the Holy Father said, referring to St. Augustine’s writings. 

“The time you can be sure you have the Holy Spirit is when you consent through sincere charity firmly to attach your minds to the unity,” he continued.

Pope Leo XIV celebrates Mass for the Care of Creation at Castel Gandolfo on Wednesday, July 9, 2025. / Credit: Vatican Media

Vatican City, Sep 1, 2025 / 13:00 pm (CNA).

Pope Leo XIV has voiced his support for the Sept. 1 celebration of the World Day of Prayer for Creation, an ecumenical initiative encouraged by Pope Francis.

“It is more important and urgent than ever,” Leo said during his Sunday Angelus message on Aug. 31. “This year’s theme is ‘Seeds of Peace and Hope.’”

Pope Francis in 2015 established the day of prayer for creation as a universal celebration in the Catholic Church. It had been commemorated by other Christian churches since 1989.

Also known as “Creation Day,” the day of prayer marks the start of a monthlong “Season of Creation,” which ends on Oct. 4, the feast of St. Francis of Assisi. 

“In the spirit of the ‘Canticle of Brother Sun,’ composed by [St. Francis] 800 years ago, we praise God and renew our commitment not to ruin his gift but to take care of our common home,” Leo said at the Aug. 31 Angelus.

In a message for the World Day of Prayer for Creation 2025, released earlier this year, the pope emphasized “that the destruction of nature does not affect everyone in the same way. When justice and peace are trampled underfoot, those who are most hurt are the poor, the marginalized, and the excluded.”

He also criticized the reduction of nature into a bargaining chip and commodity to be bartered for economic or political gain.

“God’s creation turns into a battleground for the control of vital resources. We see this in agricultural areas and forests peppered with landmines, ‘scorched earth’ policies, conflicts over water sources, and the unequal distribution of raw materials,” the pontiff said. 

“These various wounds are the effect of sin,” he said. “This is surely not what God had in mind when he entrusted the earth to the men and women whom he created in his image.”

In July, Pope Leo approved new Mass prayers to support the Church’s appreciation for God’s creation. The “Mass for the Care of Creation” was inspired by Pope Francis’ environmental encyclical Laudato Si’, which marks 10 years this year.

Bishops in some countries plan to celebrate the new Mass formulary to mark the World Day of Prayer for Creation. 

Bishop Gerardo Alminaza, president of the commission for social action of the Philippines bishops’ conference, said: “We started promoting Creation Day back in 2003, so it has become immensely popular.”

“This year, for the first time in history, we have a Mass formulary — the Missa pro custodia creationis — that allows us to celebrate Creation Day around the altar, with tailored liturgical texts for the occasion. Our bishops’ conference is animating all parishes across the Philippines to mark the day with the new Mass,” he told The Feast of Creation, an initiative coordinated by the World Council of Churches.

In a press release for Creation Day, the Feast of Creation said the day has roots in ancient Orthodox liturgical tradition from the fifth century: “It is a day to praise God as creator, commemorate the mystery of creation in Christ, and inspire Christians to care for the created world.”

Among those freed is Irish lay missionary Gena Heraty, director of NPH’s special needs programs. / Credit: Courtesy of NPH

Vatican City, Sep 1, 2025 / 11:51 am (CNA).

With “deep gratitude and relief beyond words,” the humanitarian organization Nos Petits Frères et Sœurs (Our Little Brothers and Sisters, or NPH, by its Spanish acronym), confirmed the release of eight hostages who had been held captive since Aug. 3 in Haiti.

Among them were a 3-year-old boy and Irish lay missionary Gena Heraty, who has dedicated her life to children with disabilities in Haiti for more than 30 years.

Heraty, 58, is the director of NPH’s special needs programs and a leader in working with children in the chronically stricken Caribbean country since 1993. She is also responsible for the St. Helena orphanage, run by NPH and located in Kenscoff, about six miles southeast of the capital, Port-au-Prince.

The kidnapping took place on Aug. 3 when an armed group broke into the facility and forcibly took several employees and the 3-year-old child. All of them have since been released after weeks of great tension and uncertainty.

In a statement released through NPH, Heraty’s family confirmed that the missionary and the other hostages had been released: “We are relieved beyond words. We are deeply grateful to everyone, in Haiti and internationally, who has worked tirelessly during these terrible weeks to ensure their safe return.”

NPH confirmed that the freed hostages “are safe, receiving medical and psychological care, and are with their loved ones.” One of the organization’s staff members emphasized: “Despite everything that happened, Gena has always remained strong. As soon as she returned, she went straight to greet the children. Everyone was crying; the children and the staff were waiting for her with open arms.”

“The global outpouring of concern, love, prayers, and solidarity shown by friends, neighbors, communities, colleagues, and even people with no connection to us has been an immense source of comfort and support,” he said.

However, “although we are thankful for her return today, we know the recovery process will be long.”

The release comes following Pope Leo XIV’s call for the immediate release of the hostages during the Angelus on Aug. 10.

There are currently no known ransom demands, nor has the armed group responsible for the kidnapping been identified. The Haitian newspaper Le Nouvelliste reported that gang members are believed to have been responsible for the attack.

Gang violence and kidnappings are also common in other areas in and around Port-au-Prince, where, according to the U.N., armed groups control about 85% of the city.

In the first six months of 2025, according to U.N. figures, nearly 350 people were kidnapped in Haiti.

Pope Leo XIV celebrates Mass for more than 1 million young pilgrims at the University of Rome Tor Vergata in Rome’s outskirts on Aug. 3, 2025. / Credit: Daniel Ibanez/CNA

Vatican City, Sep 1, 2025 / 11:05 am (CNA).

Pope Leo XIV expressed his condolences for the more than 800 dead left by the earthquake that struck eastern Afghanistan on Sunday night, with a magnitude of 6 on the Richter scale, also causing widespread destruction.

According to local authorities, more than 800 people died and 1,500 were injured, especially in the districts of Nurgal, Sawkay, Watapur, Dara Pech, and Chapi Dara.

“Deeply saddened by the significant loss of life caused by the earthquake in eastern Afghanistan, His Holiness Pope Leo XIV offers fervent prayers for the souls of the deceased, the wounded, and those still missing,” read the telegram sent on behalf of the pontiff.

The telegram, signed by Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin, stated that the pontiff entrusts “all affected by this disaster to the providence of the Almighty.”

The pope also expressed “his heartfelt solidarity in particular with those who mourn the loss of loved ones and with the emergency personnel and civil authorities involved in rescue and recovery efforts.”

The main quake, recorded around midnight, was followed by two magnitude 5.2 aftershocks. The U.S. Geological Survey reported that the epicenter was located 27 kilometers (16.7 miles) east of Nangarhar province, at a depth of eight kilometers (about five miles), which normally amplifies the destructive power.

Mud and stone houses facilitated the collapse

According to the Afghan news agency Khaama Press, the earthquake destroyed several entire villages because the epicenter was close to the surface and many homes were built with stone and mud.

For now, rescue teams continue working to locate survivors among the rubble, although they say operations are being hampered by landslides that have blocked key roads.

Deputy information minister and Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid wrote on his social media account X that “local officials and residents are involved in the rescue efforts, and all available resources will be used to save lives.”

Members of St. Francis’ Work for the Poor, wearing T-shirts with the phrase “a helping hand to man every day,” meet with Pope Leo XIV on Sept. 1, 2025, in the Vatican’s Clementine Hall. / Credit: Vatican Media

Vatican City, Sep 1, 2025 / 09:47 am (CNA).

Pope Leo XIV on Monday welcomed members of the Opera San Francesco per i Poveri (“St. Francis’ Work for the Poor”) to the Vatican, thanking the society for its witness of charity according to the Franciscan tradition.

“When you see a poor person,” the Holy Father said, recalling the words of St. Francis of Assisi, “you are placed before the mirror of the Lord and his poor Mother.”

“Likewise, in the sick, know how to see the infirmities with which Jesus took on himself,” he added.

Each year, the Opera San Francesco per i Poveri provides a wide variety of services to more than 30,000 people. Their charitable works include managing cafeterias and health clinics as well as providing job counseling and psychological support for those in need.

Thanking the society for nearly 70 years of service, Pope Leo highlighted the spirit of fraternity and faithfulness that continues to guide its members since its foundation.

“Your institution has been committed to ‘ensuring assistance and hospitality to people in need and ... promoting the comprehensive human development of the person in accordance with Christian tradition, especially Franciscan tradition, the doctrine of the Church, and its magisterium," Leo said, quoting the society’s statutes.

Several men and women, wearing white shirts with the society’s logo and the phrase “a helping hand to man every day,” had the opportunity to individually greet the Holy Father in the Vatican’s Clementine Hall following his short address.

Describing the Milan-based society’s founder Venerable Fra Cecilio Maria Cortinovis as a “humble doorman” with a generous heart, Pope Leo said the Lord answered his prayers by placing other generous people alongside him in order to better serve the poor.

“Thus began the beautiful adventure of which all of you are witnesses and protagonists today,” he said.

To celebrate the “story of charity” born from the faith of Cortinovis, Pope Leo told the Franciscan society to be faithful to the three “fundamental aspects of charity” outlined in their statues: to assist, to welcome, and to promote.

“Assisting means being present for the needs of others,” he said. “And in this regard, the quantity and variety of services you’ve managed to organize and offer to those who turn to you over the years is impressive.”

“This is accompanied by welcoming, that is, making room for others in our hearts and lives, offering time, listening, support, and prayer,” he added.

Emphasizing the teaching of Pope John Paul II on the dignity and creativity of each person, Pope Leo advised his listeners to help others to discover God and their own vocation in life.

“And so we come to the third point: promoting,” he said. “Here, the selflessness of giving and respect for the dignity of people come into play, so that we care for those we encounter simply for their good, so that they can grow to their full potential and proceed on their own path, without expecting anything in return and without imposing conditions.”

The Holy Father imparted his blessing at the end of the private Monday audience and assured them of his prayerful accompaniment.

“Thank you for what you do and for the witness you give by your journey together!”

null / Credit: GBALLGIGGSPHOTO/Shutterstock

CNA Staff, Sep 1, 2025 / 07:00 am (CNA).

A recent study found that the rate of mental-health-related hospitalizations doubled for women who had abortions compared with women who gave birth. 

The study, published this summer in the Journal of Psychiatric Research, compared abortions with other pregnancies in hospitals in Quebec, Canada, between 2006 and 2022, tracking data on women for up to 17 years.

The study, which compared more than 1.2 million women who gave birth in Quebec hospitals with more than 28,000 women who had abortions, found that “rates of mental-health-related hospitalization were higher following induced abortions than other pregnancies.” 

Abortion was associated with a number of mental-health-related difficulties including hospitalization for psychiatric disorders, substance use disorders, and suicide attempts, the study found.

This association was especially high for women who were younger than 25 years at the time of their abortions, as well as for patients who already had an existing mental illness.

The risk of mental health hospitalization was highest within five years of the abortion. The risk decreased gradually after the five-year point, but only after 17 years did the risk begin “to resemble” pregnancies carried to term, according to the study.

Tessa Cox, senior research associate at the think tank Charlotte Lozier Institute, said the study was “particularly powerful.” 

“This recent study out of Canada, which has more comprehensive health care data than the U.S., adds to a mounting body of research suggesting that abortion can harm women’s mental health,” Cox said.

“The abortion industry downplays the evidence, so the fact that this new study included more than a million women and took prior mental health and other related factors into account makes it particularly powerful,” she told CNA.

“Women deserve to have all the facts — and women and men who have been harmed by abortion need to know that forgiveness and healing are possible,” Cox said.

Another scholar called the study “robust,” noting that it followed the data over an extended period of time and had constants that enabled the information to be more accurate.

Michael New, senior associate scholar at the Charlotte Lozier Institute and assistant professor of practice at The Catholic University of America, noted that the study “provides strong statistical evidence that abortion increases the risk of a range of mental health problems.”

New said the study had many strengths, including its large sample size, the way it tracked women over an extended period of time, and how the authors analyzed data from an extended period of time.

This method was rare, according to the study, which noted that “large population-based studies with long-term follow-up are rare yet necessary to understand the mental health needs of women post abortion.”

New called this study’s results “robust,” noting that this study stands firm against criticism that similar studies have faced.

The study is one of several that have investigated correlation between mental health challenges and abortion.

“While other research has found that women who obtain abortions are likely to suffer from mental health disorders, critics of these studies have argued that women with mental health problems are more likely to obtain abortions in the first place,” New said.

“Most importantly it holds constant whether or not the women in the study had been hospitalized with mental health problems in the past,” he said of the Canadian study.

Father James Martin, SJ. / Credit: Flickr by Shawn (CC BY-NC 2.0)

Vatican City, Sep 1, 2025 / 06:00 am (CNA).

Pope Leo XIV met in a private audience with Jesuit Father James Martin at the Vatican on Monday.

Martin, who is in Rome to lead a jubilee pilgrimage for his LGBTQ ministry, Outreach, also had one-on-one audiences with Pope Francis on at least two occasions.

The Vatican does not customarily comment on papal audiences with individuals, and the Holy See Press Office did not immediately respond to a request for information about the meeting.

Responding to a request for comment from CNA, Martin wrote: “I was honored and grateful to meet with the Holy Father this morning in an audience in the Apostolic Palace and heard the same message I heard from Pope Francis on LGBTQ people, which is one of openness and welcome: ‘Todos, todos, todos.’ I found the pope serene, joyful, and encouraging.”

The Jesuit priest, an author and editor at large at America Media, is the founder of Outreach, which describes itself as an “LGBTQ Catholic resource” operating under the auspices of America Media.

Writing on X on Aug. 29, Martin said he is in Rome until Sept. 8 to lead an Outreach pilgrimage with 40 people for the 2025 Jubilee of Hope.

Martin’s ministry to people with same-sex attraction and gender dysphoria has been criticized by some Catholics, who say his approach minimizes or even conflicts with the Church’s teaching on sexual morality. He has also been criticized for promoting initiatives that some say affirm same-sex orientation as an identity.

The priest was also supportive of Pope Francis’ 2023 declaration Fiducia Supplicans, which allows priests to offer private, nonliturgical blessings to same-sex couples.

Despite the controversy over Martin’s ministry, Pope Francis encouraged it both in private meetings with Martin and in letters.

In 2021, Martin published a handwritten note he had received from Francis in which the pope thanked him for his “ability to be close to people” and also told him “to continue this way.”

Francis in 2022 also sent a written response to a letter from Martin with three questions about the Catholic Church and the LGBT community. 

After his first meeting with Francis, in 2019, Martin wrote on Twitter (now X), that he “felt encouraged, consoled, and inspired by the Holy Father today.” The Jesuit priest also met one-on-one with Pope Francis in 2022.

Pope Francis also personally nominated Martin to participate in the Synod on Synodality assemblies held at the Vatican in 2023 and 2024.

Martin is the author of “Building a Bridge: How the Catholic Church and the LGBT Community Can Enter into a Relationship of Respect, Compassion, and Sensitivity” and frequently speaks on issues pertaining to homosexuality and Catholicism.

Martin is one of 21 consultors for the Dicastery for Communication. He was nominated in 2017.