The Spiritual Life with Fr. James Martin, S.J. How Andrew Sullivan experienced God amidst fear and agony
Apr 28, 2026
Andrew Sullivan, political commentator and Catholic writer, reflects on faith, identity, and surviving the AIDS crisis. He discusses the church’s evolving response to LGBTQ people. He recounts moments of spiritual intensity during illness, Pope Francis’s role in easing fear, and practices that keep him rooted in faith.
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AIDS Catalyzed Church Compassion
- The AIDS crisis forced visibility and conversation that humanized gay men and propelled pastoral care in the church.
- Andrew Sullivan credits priests like Father Michael Judge and parish presence for turning fear into compassionate service during mass deaths.
Francis Untied Knots Of Fear
- Pope Francis dispelled fear by 'untying knots' and inviting individual encounters rather than ideological labels.
- Sullivan sees Francis's bedside pastoral approach as essential to treating gay and trans people as family members first.
Confronting Parish Denial At The Quilt Mass
- Sullivan recounts a Mass after seeing the AIDS quilt where a priest compared AIDS to leprosy and seemed unaware of its proximity.
- He confronted the priest because people with HIV were serving at that altar and the parish's denial felt like an abdication of moral duty.
