In Father Martin meets the Pope: a scandal, but not a surprise, Phil Lawler has injected a bit of realism into the discussion over Pope Leo’s recent meeting with the attention-hungry homosexualist heretic. Particularly worthy of attention is the contrast between the “good Jesuit,” Father Paul Mankowski, and the “bad Jesuit” headlined in the essay.
Below is a brief AI summary of the piece, but please read the original.1
Phil Lawler’s editorial captures the dismay — though not surprise — of faithful Catholics regarding Pope Leo XIV’s private audience with Father James Martin, SJ. While the meeting itself warrants attention, the deeper story lies in the stark contrast between two Jesuits and what their respective treatment reveals about the contemporary Church.
Lawler acknowledges that Pope Leo, having worked closely with Pope Francis as prefect of the Dicastery for Bishops, was never going to repudiate his predecessor’s policies. The new pontiff has shown interest in healing divisions while maintaining continuity, sending reassuring signals to both traditionalists and progressives. His desire to be a unifying force explains, though doesn’t justify, why he might meet with the controversial Father Martin.
The heart of Lawler’s piece contrasts Father Martin’s celebrity status with the silencing of Father Paul Mankowski, SJ, who died five years ago. Martin, who cleverly dances around Church teaching while promoting LGBTQ ideology, enjoys widespread episcopal support — his books carry prestigious endorsements, and diocesan assemblies regularly feature him as a speaker. Meanwhile, Father Mankowski faced ecclesiastical retaliation for defending orthodox Catholic teaching. When Mankowski wrote a devastating review of Martin’s Building a Bridge in 2017, Cardinal Cupich threatened disciplinary action against him.
This tale of two Jesuits illuminates a troubling reality: those who challenge Church teaching on sexuality are celebrated, while defenders of orthodoxy are marginalized. Lawler notes that Martin’s support extends beyond individual bishops to what he describes as a “vigorous homosexual lobby” within the Church, strengthened by “tames” — Mankowski’s term for clerics who, while not homosexual themselves, enable the agenda through their acquiescence.
The meeting’s aftermath proved predictable: Martin emerged claiming papal endorsement for continuing Francis’s LGBTQ approach, spinning the encounter without any Vatican correction. Lawler concludes that while the audience itself is scandalous, the greater scandal is that given the current ecclesiastical climate, it shouldn’t have surprised anyone at all.
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