Shockwaves in the Vatican: Pope Leo XIV to Meet “We Are Church” Reformers During Jubilee

Rome is bracing for a historic and controversial moment at the end of October. From October 24 to 26, members of the international reform movement We Are Church will step into the Vatican to take part in the Jubilee of Synodal Teams. The invitation came directly from Cardinal Mario Grech, secretary general of the Synod, and it signals more than just participation in a liturgical celebration. It marks a stunning recognition of a movement that has long been in open dispute with the Holy See.

The agenda includes a symbolic crossing of the Holy Door. But the real headline is the unprecedented encounter: for the first time, We Are Church delegates will meet Pope Leo XIV, the successor of Pope Francis, described even by Vatican insiders as a pontiff of gestures more than proclamations.

From dissent to dialogue

For decades, We Are Church has been a thorn in the Vatican's side. The group campaigns on issues the hierarchy has often considered untouchable:

• Full equality for LGBTQ+ Catholics

• Women's ordination

• Ending mandatory celibacy for priests

• Economic transparency and reform

By stepping into the Jubilee at the Vatican, the movement's presence becomes more than symbolic. It signals that the reformist voice—long marginalized, sometimes dismissed outright—is now being welcomed, at least into the conversation.

The LGBTQ+ Jubilee Pilgrimage: a sign of hope

This is not the only milestone in Rome's jubilee year. On September 6, LGBTQ+ Christians and their families will hold their own Jubilee pilgrimage, organized by the group La Tenda di Gionata. Their journey to the Holy Door will be preceded by a prayer vigil at the Church of the Gesù and a Mass on the same day.

No formal meeting with Pope Leo XIV is scheduled, but organizers say the possibility is "not entirely excluded." For many LGBTQ+ Catholics, just the act of walking together, in prayer, through the Holy Door is already a profound sign of belonging in a Church that has so often failed to see them.

Pope Leo XIV: breaking patterns with quiet power

Pope Leo XIV has quickly gained a reputation for governing through signs rather than speeches. He has not shied away from criticism by conspiracy theorists or resistance within conservative Catholic circles. Instead, his pontificate is quietly redefining leadership in a polarized Church: small but powerful acts of welcome, symbolic encounters, gestures that unsettle the old order without the thunder of sweeping doctrinal declarations.

That is why the twin events of September and October matter. The Jubilee of LGBTQ+ Christians and the Jubilee of Synodal Teams with We Are Church are not isolated happenings. Taken together, they reveal a deeper pattern: a Church that, under Leo XIV, is willing to risk visibility for groups long left at the margins.

Between outrage and hope

Of course, these developments are not without backlash. Traditionalists warn of "watering down" Catholic identity, fearing that recognition of reformist groups and LGBTQ+ believers crosses red lines. On the other side, activists argue the gestures are too modest, too slow, too reluctant to face the urgent realities of modern faith communities.

Still, what cannot be denied is the new energy coursing through the Vatican this Jubilee year. For the first time, movements once labeled as "outsiders" are physically and spiritually crossing the thresholds of the Church.

The road ahead

This autumn may prove to be a turning point. In October, We Are Church will move from protest banners outside basilicas to a seat at the Vatican table, face to face with the pope. In September, LGBTQ+ families will carry their prayers and their identities through the Holy Door, with the possibility—however uncertain—of papal recognition.

Both events highlight a larger truth: the Church is no longer able to ignore the voices that have long knocked at its door. Whether this signals real change or remains symbolic will depend on what follows. But the Jubilee is already doing what it was meant to do—opening passageways of grace and surprise.

The message, whispered through actions rather than shouted from balconies, is clear: the Catholic Church is moving, however haltingly, toward a wider embrace.

Marco Baratto