« Jesus' teaching of reaching out to the margins is a universal truth »
For the Church that welcomes everyone... embracing diversity while upholding core teachings

This article is released on May 31, 2026, in both print and online formats.

Finding God in All Things, Communicating Like Jesus

Fr Martin has worked at America Media for over 25 years, an organisation that publishes the American Jesuit magazine America. For him, writing is part of the ‘Ministry of the Word’ that Jesuits have long been involved in.

He explained, « The Ministry of the Word means not only proclaiming the Gospel at Mass and offering homilies, but all kinds of writing. » He revealed that the foundation of his pastoral activity is his primary vocation as a Jesuit to help people « find God in all things, » paraphrasing St. Ignatius Loyola, the founder of the Society of Jesus.

This media activity is a work that helps mutual understanding between the Church and the world. While Fr Martin mostly deals with overtly Catholic topics such as saints and prayer, he has dedicated his life to explaining them in a language that the general public beyond the religious fence can understand.

« There is an old Jesuit saying that the Jesuit helps ‘the church to understand the world, and the world to understand the church,’ he noted, I like that formulation very much. I’ve also been invited to help the secular media from time to time. That’s part of ‘helping the world understand the church.’ »

The reason his books, such as Building a Bridge and Learning to Pray, have received global acclaim lies in his charisma for « making things easy, direct, simple and accessible » while maintaining spiritual depth. He noted that this is exactly Jesus' way of communicating.

« When Jesus calls the First Disciples, he speaks to the fishermen — not like a carpenter but in their language, the language of fishermen, saying, ‘Come after me, and I will make you fish for people.’ Later on, in his parables, Jesus used things from nature and everyday life to help make the reign of God easier to understand. We need to do what Jesus did Make things accessible. »

Walking with the Excluded

In 2022, Fr Martin established ‘Outreach’, which is an online ministry platform that helps LGBTQ Catholics, their families, and pastoral workers share their faith experiences and feel more a part of the Church. Outreach serves as a bridge connecting the marginalised and the Church by publishing online essays, providing theological resources, and holding regular conferences.

Fr Martin stated that « this is an extension of ‘walking with the excluded,’ which is one of the Jesuit Universal Apostolic Preferences, he said, LGBTQ people certainly are excluded, so I walk with them. The first step is saying that these people exist. »

Furthermore, Fr Martin emphasised that we must go beyond focusing only on their alienation or pain. « We need to listen not only to their pain, but to their experiences of God. » This means that we must let them know that they are as welcome as anyone else in what is, after all, their own church.

« Now, many people say, ‘But they are sinning’. Let me ask them back. ‘What sin is a young person who is gay, who has never entered into a relationship, and is simply trying to find his or her place in the church, committing ?’ We need to make the Church more welcoming. »

Regarding the Church's role in embracing diversity while upholding its core teachings, Fr Martin noted that God loves everyone, that Jesus lived a life of mercy and compassion, and that the Holy Spirit is present to all. He stated that « Jesus is consistently reaching out to people on the margins, and that these are teachings true for everyone. »

« In His public ministry, He meets a Roman centurion, a Samaritan woman and people with leprosy, all people who would have been considered ‘strange,’ ‘different’ or ‘other’. This is our task today with LGBTQ people, who are often excluded from their own church. So this is a core teaching that we are fulfilling when we reach out to this community. »

Apathy towards Religion... the Solution is a ‘Personal Encounter’ with Christ

Religious indifference is an urgent challenge facing the Church today. In the past, active antipathy toward religion was the issue, but now people feel that they can simply set religion aside.

Fr Martin suggested that the urgent task before the church is to introduce people to the person of Jesus Christ, proposing the building of a relationship with the ‘real God’. This means getting to know Him in the Gospels, in the Sacraments, and in other people. He explained that « we should seek a relationship with God where God knows us and we know God, and that we are invited to be open and honest with God in our prayer. As open and honest as we would be with a close friend. »

« As for not being able to develop a healthy relationship with God, I think many people simply haven’t been taught how to do this. In other words, people have experiences of spiritual moments with God but they are not encouraged to talk about them. We need to encourage them to do so ! »

‘Affective Collegiality’ Conquers Division… Hoping Seoul WYD Becomes the Seed

Different perspectives clash within the Church over various issues such as gender, liturgy, and political leanings. In the U.S. Church, division among believers is sharp over support for the Republican and Democratic parties. What is the solution to such conflict ?

« ‘Affective collegiality’ precedes ‘effective collegiality.’ »

Fr Martin presented a remark by Cardinal Timothy Radcliffe, who quoted Pope St. John Paul II at the 16th Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops. Fr Martin attended the Synod as a delegate.

« In other words, if you want to really speak about difficult topics, you first must try to make friends with the other person. That means getting to know them, giving them the ‘benefit of the doubt’ and listening carefully to what they say. »

Along with this, Fr Martin hoped that the 2027 World Youth Day (WYD) in Seoul would be a seed for such inclusion to blossom.

« I’m sure it will be done well because the Korean church is so vibrant and alive. But I would also say that it’s important that people who feel excluded in other places — those with disabilities, who are LGBTQ, who may be struggling with their faith — feel welcomed at WYD. It should be about ‘todos, todos, todos,’ as Pope Francis often said. »

To the Catholic Times and Its Readers

Fr Martin diagnosed that the role of Catholic media is even more essential today in this era of de-religionisation. As the number of journalists who specialise in religion decreases, there are fewer people who can explain the Church.

He said, « Catholics sometimes hear about their church from ill-informed sources. That’s an extra reason for us to rely on, and support, Catholic media, he added, the unique role of Catholic media is to present Catholic news and information with understanding ! »

With this, he conveyed his greetings to the Catholic Times, which is approaching its 100th anniversary, and to the readers who have sent their long-standing support.

« I hope that you can celebrate God’s work in you ! It’s a wonderful time for you to look back, reflect and be grateful for all that God has done through you. Finally, it’s a good time to discern the ‘signs of the times’: what are the new things that God is asking for us. »

reported·translated by reporter Bak Juhyeon ogoya@catimes.kr

박주현 기자 ogoya@catimes.kr

박주현 기자

ogoya@catimes.kr

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