Pope Leo XIV has signalled that he will continue his predecessor's initiatives to welcome the LGBTQ community into the Catholic Church in an unexpected twist that has stunned conservative Catholics.

Pope Leo held a meeting on Monday with Rev. James Martin, who is the author of "Building a Bridge: How the Catholic Church and the LGBT Can Enter Into a Relationship of Respect, Compassion and Sensitivity."

Martin has advocated for including the LGBTQ community for years and argues that Catholics should foster a relationship with the LGBTQ community instead of othering them.

While many of the details of the meeting weren't publicized, it appears that the Pope and Martin came to an agreement on the continuation of Pope Francis's efforts to normalize the LGBTQ community in the Catholic Church.

Pope Francis's views live on

Martin told The Associated Press that, "I heard the same message from Pope Leo that I heard from Pope Francis, which is the desire to welcome all people, including LGBTQ people. It was wonderful. It was very consoling and very encouraging and frankly a lot of fun."

While many Catholics want to welcome LGBTQ individuals into the Catholic Church, the idea of accepting the community runs counter to Biblical ideas.

Christian teachings hold that individuals are to turn away from the behaviors that the LGBTQ community takes pride in. Pope Leo's decision to continue favoring the liberal ideas that were pushed by Pope Francis comes as a disappointment to many conservative Catholics.

This shift isn't entirely surprising, as Pope Leo has evolved his stance on the issue of the LGBTQ community in the Catholic Church multiple times.

Conforming, not standing

While being an outspoken critic for years, his stance shifted when he ascended to the rank of Cardinal in 2023. In many ways, Pope Leo had made a broad shift to align with the stance of Pope Francis.

The then-Cardinal Prevost wrote, "Given many things that have changed, I would say there’s been a development in the sense of the need for the church to open and to be welcoming and on that level, I think Pope Francis made it very clear that he doesn’t want people to be excluded simply on the basis of choices that they make, whether it be lifestyle, work, way to dress or whatever."

This evolution in beliefs illustrates perfectly the Roman Catholic Church's greatest vulnerability. As a political organization, there is a strong incentive to conform at the cost of standing strong on doctrinal issues.

Deepening divide

The Catholic Church is hurtling toward a schism as segments of the Church abandon long-held traditions in beliefs in favor of more modern liberal ideas.

Many Catholics resented the rule of Pope Francis and his determination to modernize the Catholic Church. Pope Leo is beginning to look like more of the same instead of a leader who will reverse many of the liberal changes that have been made.

Conservative Catholics are doubling down on tradition, but that could put them on a collision course with the Pope himself. It's possible that the Catholic Church could see another major schism, much like the Protestant Reformation.