Pope Leo XIV is set to meet with representatives from We Are Church International (WAC), a progressive Catholic reform group advocating for LGBTQ+ inclusion and women’s ordination, during the upcoming Jubilee of Synodal Teams in October 2025.
The Vatican confirmed that WAC delegates will join the Holy Year celebrations and walk through the Holy Door with Pope Leo XIV. The symbolic event will take place from 24–26 October as part of the broader Jubilee of Synodal Teams, an initiative welcoming synodal groups from around the world.
Founded in Rome in 1996, We Are Church International is a global coalition of national organisations pushing for reform within the Roman Catholic Church. The group’s mission is rooted in the principles of the Second Vatican Council (1962–1965), which advocated for modernisation and greater inclusion within the Church.
Speaking with Pinknews, Colm Holmes, chair of WAC, said, “We are this year celebrating 30 years since our foundation. We are committed to the renewal of the Roman Catholic Church based on the Second Vatican Council and the theological spirit developed therefrom.”
Among the group’s central aims are full equality for women, LGBTQ+ individuals, laypeople, and married persons in all areas of church life — including leadership roles and priesthood.
The upcoming meeting will mark a rare opportunity for WAC to speak directly with Pope Leo XIV. While the Pope has historically expressed reservations about expanding LGBTQ+ rights within the Church — reiterating his belief that “family is founded upon the stable union between a man and a woman” — he has allowed blessings of same-sex couples to continue, signalling a potential shift in tone, if not doctrine.
WAC co-founder Christian Weisner shared his hopes with Vatican Radio, saying: “We were pleased that this meeting of synodal teams and bodies of the World Synod will also take place in the Vatican as part of the Holy Year, and that the invitation was open.
“Our patient work over 30 years, during which we have often been present in Rome at bishops’ synods, council commemorations, papal elections, and other events, may have contributed to this.
“I also see the passage through the Holy Door as a sign for the Church as a whole: to leave mistakes behind and to set out again and again in Christian hope.”
