Pope Leo XIV took a step to show that he would continue Pope Francis's policy of welcoming the LGBTQ community to the Catholic Church.

The pontiff met on Monday with Rev. James Martin, a priest known for his LGBTQ advocacy, according to the Associated Press. Martin is also known for his book, Building a Bridge: How the Catholic Church and the LGBT Can Enter Into a Relationship of Respect, Compassion and Sensitivity. In it, Martin suggested that Catholics foster a relationship with the LGBTQ community instead of identifying them as “the other” and welcome them to the Catholic community.

Martin expressed optimism after meeting with Pope Leo XIV and was pleased that he was interested in continuing Pope Francis’s outreach efforts with LGBTQ people.

“I heard the same message from Po

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