All of us in Quest were following with concern the health struggles that Pope Francis endured in recent weeks but, like many others around the world, the news of his death on Monday was felt with shock and heartbreak. His determination to be with the faithful in St Peter’s Square on Easter Sunday raised hopes that he would be able to continue his work bringing change to the church, especially in this Jubilee year as Pilgrims of Hope and the rolling out of a more synodal way of working across the church. But we now wait to see what will come next.
Looking back on Francis’ pontificate in relation to LGBT+ Catholics it seemed that in terms of teaching and doctrine, almost nothing changed; in terms of tone however, everything did. From the “who am I to judge” comment early in his papacy the change in tone emerged which led to an important shift in how LGBT+ people were treated by the church hierarchy. There were regular and meaningful meetings with LGBT+ people and particularly special for Quest were the occasions when he greeted former Quest chair Ruby Almeida and former deputy chair George White during his audiences in the Vatican.
(Ruby Almeida meeting Pope Francis)
(George White meets Pope Francis ©)
The abiding memory of him for Quest members who were at our 50th Anniversary conference in 2023 was the message we received through our guest speaker Sr Jeannine Gramick who had been corresponding with Pope Francis and had told him she was coming to speak to us in Manchester.
(photo of a slide shared by Sr Jeannine with the 2023 conference)
This gesture came as a complete surprise and left many in the room in tears. There was a sense of validation to the journey that Quest has been on since 1973 supporting people to reconcile what they knew about themselves as LGBT+ people and their place in the church as Catholics, an acknowledgment and an acceptance that many had longed for.
For some, things didn’t go as far as they might have wanted in terms of church teaching and it could be argued that far from being progressive, as some have painted him, he was actually quite orthodox, maintaining positions established by his predecessors. But the vitriol that he endured from sections of the church and wider society for having taken these steps towards the LGBT+ community leave us committed to carrying on his legacy, Christ’s legacy.
During the 52 year history of Quest there have been 5 popes and throughout this time our role has primarily been to support our members in the evolving landscape of what it is to be Catholic and what it means to walk with Christ. In his ministry and his teaching Pope Francis continually pointed us back to the Gospel message; he reminded us that this is about what we do daily, reaching out to the marginalised as Christ would and encountering Jesus in those we meet. Although we mourn the loss of Pope Francis, Quest’s place in the church remains the same.
The Trustees (The Committee)
What Quest has said on social media to date:
Bluesky: Heartbroken but his pontificate was a blessing to us all.
Instagram: Rest In Peace Holy Father. His love and concern for all has been an example to all and a blessing to the world.
Facebook: Truly heartbroken. His pontificate has been a blessing to the world and the LGBT+ community especially.
Here are some links you might find helpful / interesting
RIP Pope Francis he opened doors we walked through them
LGBTQ Catholics Mourn Passing of Pope Francis