In what is being seen as a significant gesture of outreach, Pope Leo XIV is having lunch today with a group of transgender women at the Vatican. The meeting, part of the Church's World Day of the Poor, includes prominent Catholic trans activist Alesia Nobile, who sees the event as a crucial opportunity to engage with the new pontiff on LGBTQ+ rights.
The lunch is a noteworthy event, especially given the Catholic Church's historically fraught relationship with the transgender community. For activists like Nobile, it represents a glimmer of hope that the dialogue initiated by the late Pope Francis may continue under his successor.
An Activist's Hope for Continuity
Alesia Nobile, who developed a personal friendship with Pope Francis, has been a vocal advocate for inclusion within the Church. She described Francis as "a light in my journey as a believer," noting that he always made a point to greet her and other transgender women during his Wednesday audiences.
Speaking to the Italian newspaper La Stampa, Nobile expressed her intentions for the lunch with the new Pope. "I hope this will be an opportunity to speak to him and ask him not to backtrack on rights," she stated. Her hope is that Pope Leo XIV will embrace the role of a "father of all of us transgender women," continuing the path of compassion set by his predecessor.
Nobile remains optimistic despite Leo's relative silence on LGBTQ+ issues since his papacy began in May. "They say ‘silence is consent,’" she said. "I’m sure that Pope Leo shares Francis’s work and is just waiting for the right moment to embrace our reality... Leo XIV will continue to walk in Francis’ footsteps."
A New Pope with a Mixed Record
Pope Leo XIV, the first U.S.-born individual to lead the Catholic Church, presents a complex figure for LGBTQ+ Catholics. While viewed by some as a successor to Francis's more progressive leanings, his record is mixed. Earlier this year, he reaffirmed the doctrine that marriage is exclusively "between a man and a woman."
However, he has also shown a willingness to engage. He confirmed that the Church will continue offering blessings to same-sex couples on a "case-by-case basis"—a policy initiated under Francis. While these blessings are explicitly not an endorsement of marriage, they represent a significant pastoral shift.
Today's lunch is not his first interaction with LGBTQ+ advocates. In September, Leo met with Father James Martin, a well-known American priest who advocates for greater inclusion in the Church. After their meeting, Martin reported hearing "the same message I heard from Pope Francis on LGBTQ Catholics, which is one of openness and welcome." The following month, the Pope officially received the pro-LGBTQ+ reform organization We Are Church at the Vatican for the first time.
A Moment of Cautious Optimism
The lunch with Alesia Nobile and other trans women is another step in this pattern of cautious engagement. While symbolic gestures do not change official doctrine, they are powerful in shaping the tone and direction of the Church's relationship with its 1.3 billion followers. For LGBTQ+ Catholics in the Netherlands and around the world, today's event is a moment to watch, representing both the potential for progress and a reminder of the long road still ahead for full acceptance.
