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Red curtains are installed on the main balcony of the Saint-Pierre basilica in the city of the Vatican, where the new pope will be presented to the world.

Christopher Furlong / Getty Images

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Christopher Furlong / Getty Images

Red curtains are installed on the main balcony of the Saint-Pierre basilica in the city of the Vatican, where the new pope will be presented to the world.

Christopher Furlong / Getty Images

On the eve of the conclave to elect a new pope, some of the biggest questions suspended in the air have to do with LGBTQ Catholics. Will the Church continue the path of awareness drawn up by Pope Francis, softening his severe positions? Will this allow LGBTQ Catholics to fully participate in the church?

Reverend James Martin, an American Jesuit priest, has built a ministry aimed at ensuring that homosexuals, lesbians and transgender people feel more welcome in the Catholic Church and advised Francis on the issue. He says that Francis himself has changed the church, but the many LGBTQ Catholics who came out – changing the church at the level of the family and the parish. This trend, he says, will continue.

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This episode was produced by Tyler Bartlam, Connor Donevan and Erika Ryan. He was published by Courtney Dorning. Our executive producer is Sami Yenigun.