Cardinals Robert McElroy and Blase Cupich have sent messages of support to the participants of the Outreach 2026 conference, organized by Jesuit James Martin at Georgetown University, in which they present “LGBT pastoral care” as part of the orientation promoted during the pontificate of Francis and developed in the current synodal process.
The letters, dated June 19 and disseminated by the organization Outreach, coincide with the celebration of the fifth anniversary of this initiative founded by Martin, one of the best-known figures in the United States for his work with people who identify as LGBT within the Church.
McElroy highlights the continuity of this pastoral care
In his message to attendees, Cardinal Robert McElroy, Archbishop of Washington, stated that the conference is taking place at a particularly significant moment for this pastoral field.
“The pastoral foundations established by Pope Francis for an authentic ministry with and for the LGBT community are being deepened and refined by Pope Leo,” he wrote.
The cardinal linked this statement to the recent report of Study Group 9 of the Synod on Synodality, dedicated to issues related to the pastoral care of people who identify as LGBT.
According to McElroy, the document places the so-called “LGBT ministry” within “a new paradigm” that integrates “the experience of diverse and faith-filled disciples” as a foundation for understanding the Christian call to holiness.
“This new paradigm points to the true path for establishing the ‘All, all, all’ in our Church, ever ancient and ever new,” he added.
The Archbishop of Washington also described the gathering as an event taking place at “a key moment in the history of our Church and our nation” and expressed his confidence that the Holy Spirit will be “deeply present” in the discussions and encounters of the conference.
Cupich links the meeting to the synodal Church
Cardinal Blase Cupich, Archbishop of Chicago, also sent a letter of support to the participants of the gathering. In it, he highlighted the presence of representatives from the Archdiocesan Gay and Lesbian Outreach (AGLO), an organization of the Archdiocese of Chicago dedicated to the pastoral care of people who identify as LGBT.
“I am pleased to note that this conference includes leaders from some of our most dynamic parishes and from our Archdiocesan Gay and Lesbian Outreach,” he wrote, noting that they will share their experiences in promoting “a culture of welcome, hospitality, and the proclamation of the Gospel.”
Cupich further stated that this year’s theme, Walking Side by Side, “resonates well with our synodal Church and this new missionary era.”
In his view, evangelization requires listening to people’s different faith journeys and accompanying them in their growth in relationship with Christ and the ecclesial community.
At the conclusion of his message, he expressed his hope that the conference will help participants “walk with others in faith” and linked this purpose to the episcopal motto of Leo XIV, In illo uno unum (“In the One, we are one”).
Georgetown affirms inclusion as part of its mission
The conference also received the support of Eduardo Peñalver, the incoming president of Georgetown University, the host institution of the event.
In his letter, Peñalver maintained that the educational mission of Catholic and Jesuit universities is inseparable from the commitment to “creating an inclusive university environment that welcomes all.”
He also recalled that Georgetown was one of the first Catholic universities in the United States to establish a resource center for LGBT students, inaugurated in 2008.
“We are proud to walk alongside you, shoulder to shoulder, in our shared faith,” he wrote to the attendees.
Five years of Outreach
The Outreach 2026 conference is being held from June 19 to 21 at Georgetown University under the theme Walking Side by Side: Celebrating Five Years of Outreach Ministries.
The initiative was founded by Father James Martin and each year brings together laypeople, priests, religious, educators, and leaders involved in the so-called “LGBT pastoral care” within the Church.
Among the speakers at this edition are McElroy himself, James Martin, the president of Catholic Charities USA, Kerry Robinson, and Jesuit James Keenan.
The letters released on the occasion of the gathering show the explicit support of two of the most influential cardinals in the U.S. Church for this initiative. In them, both McElroy and Cupich present this “LGBT pastoral care” as part of the path promoted during the pontificate of Francis, while the Archbishop of Washington explicitly states that this work is being “deepened and refined” by Pope Leo XIV.