Pope Leo meets James Martin, SJ; discusses LGBT ministry

Welcome to the eighth season of Inside the Vatican!

This week, America’s Senior Vatican Correspondent Gerard O’Connell and Vatican Correspondent Colleen Dulle unpack two significant meetings Pope Leo XIV held this week: One with their colleague the Rev. James Martin, S.J., and the other with Israeli President Isaac Herzog. Gerry and Colleen reveal the significance of seemingly small details like the inclusion of Father Martin’s meeting on the Vatican’s daily bulletin and the disagreement between the Holy See and Israel over whether or not the pope invited the president.

In the second half of the show, Colleen and Gerry trade places, as Gerry interviews Colleen about her recently-released book, Struck Down, Not Destroyed: Keeping the Faith as a Vatican Reporter (penguinrandomhouse.com/books/742516/struck-dow…) (Image, 2025). The two reflect on their very different experiences of the Catholic church and Colleen reflects on what has kept her in the church while covering distressing stories.

Links from the show:

Pope Leo and Israel’s president discuss ‘tragic situation in Gaza’ in private audience (americamagazine.org/vatican-dispatch/2025/09/0…)

Israeli president Herzog to visit Pope Leo at Vatican (americamagazine.org/vatican-dispatch/2025/09/0…)

Pope Leo meets with Father James Martin, seen as a sign of support for ministry with L.G.B.T.Q. Catholics (americamagazine.org/vatican-dispatch/2025/09/0…)

Father James Martin: Pope Leo’s message for LGBTQ Catholics (outreach.faith/2025/09/father-james-martin-pop…)

Excerpt: A Vatican reporter on keeping the faith amid the Catholic Church’s scandals (americamagazine.org/features/2025/06/26/struck…)

Struck Down, Not Destroyed: Keeping the Faith as a Vatican Reporter by Colleen Dulle (penguinrandomhouse.com/books/742516/struck-dow…)

Credits:

Production and engineering: Kevin Christopher Robles

Executive producer: Sebastian Gomes

Inside the Vatican is a production of America Media.

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