Pope Leo Meets Prominent Married Gay Couple — And Talks Wordle

The story of Brian and Alex is more than a Wordle moment. It’s a sign of the Church Pope Leo is building.

At a private Vatican audience with Archbishop José Gomez of Los Angeles this past month, Pope Leo XIV made a bit of quiet history.

Amid the formalities, the first American pope found himself laughing over a Wordle joke shared with an openly gay married couple from California.

The two men — Alex Capecelatro, a renowned tech entrepreneur and CEO of Josh.ai, and his husband Brian D. Stevens, a celebrated Catholic philanthropist — were part of Gomez’s delegation.

When Pope Leo learned “we are married,” Alex later said on social media, he received them with unmistakable warmth and kindness, not a hint of hesitation.

For Capecelatro, who wasn’t raised Catholic, the moment was especially heartwarming alongside Brian, a devout Catholic.

Speaking with an English-speaking pope whose message is unity and peace, they felt fully welcome in the Church’s embrace.

What happened next showed Pope Leo’s down-to-earth touch. Capecelatro paused their chat with a playful grin:

“I have one very important question,” he announced, momentarily making Leo look curious. Then came the punchline: “How did you do at Wordle today?”

The 70-year-old pontiff burst into laughter.

It turned out both pope and pilgrim needed six tries to solve that day’s puzzle (the word was “GLARE”) — and Leo cheerfully came back to compare notes about it minutes later.

In a gilded Vatican room, with the weight of the world on his shoulders, the Pope was swapping word-game scores like an old friend.

Did that really just happen? Capecelatro wondered, delighted. That relatable moment made one thing clear: Pope Leo XIV might carry the burdens of a global Church, but he still makes time for the little things that bring people together.

There were heartfelt gifts and messages, too.

Gomez’s delegation presented Leo with a Los Angeles Dodgers jersey on behalf of their archdiocese.

At the time the Dodgers hadn’t yet won the World Series — some joked that perhaps a papal blessing helped when they finally did.)

More importantly, Capecelatro and Stevens shared with Pope Leo how much Fr. James Martin, SJ’s outreach to LGBTQ Catholics means to them.

The pope nodded approvingly at the mention of that ministry. Unity and peace aren’t just slogans for Leo XIV; they’re a call to welcome those long at the margins.

His gentle acceptance of this married gay couple — listening to their story, even appreciating their love for a ministry that serves LGBTQ faithful — spoke volumes without a single headline-making proclamation.

It was the Gospel of encounter in action.

A Life of Faith and Service Behind the Moment

This encounter was also deeply meaningful because of who Alex and Brian are.

Brian D. Stevens stands at the pinnacle of a storied career in the meeting and event industry, but his heart has always been in service of others.

A lifelong Catholic who briefly entered the seminary to become a priest, Stevens has dedicated decades to charitable works.

He’s a Knight of Malta who has led pilgrimages for the sick to Lourdes nearly 33 times.

Close friends say his generosity knows no bounds.

“He has a great love for God,” reflects Cardinal Roger Mahony, retired Archbishop of L.A. and a friend of Stevens. “He sees God’s handiwork constantly in people… He loves being around people and would be a great ambassador for the Church in welcoming people.”

Sister Kathleen Bryant, another dear friend, says Brian’s faith fuels his selflessness: “He has a beautiful discernment gift to know where God’s inviting him next… he notices where there’s need and he responds generously, but he keeps it quiet.”

Indeed, everyone who meets Brian seems to agree the best word to describe him is “generous.”

From founding a company that helps thousands of people connect, to giving a friend his own car keys in a pinch, Stevens has lived out the Golden Rule with humility.

In May 2023, he and Alex were married — something once unimaginable for a Catholic man of Brian’s generation. Yet here they were, together in the Vatican, treated with dignity by the Vicar of Christ himself.

Alex, who came out in 2015, co-founded and serves as CEO of Josh.ai, a company that reshaped smart-home control by prioritizing AI-driven natural-language interaction, elegant design, and user privacy.

For many Catholics, especially LGBTQ believers who have felt on the outside, this small meeting resonates as a sign of hope.

Pope Leo XIV didn’t issue a doctrinal decree or grand statement during the audience; he simply listened, laughed, and embraced two faithful men as they are.

That quiet act embodied what Leo has been preaching since day one: that the Church must be “a Church of the Beatitudes,” making room for the excluded.

It’s a lesson in the Gospel of encounter — meeting people where they are, with love.

As Capecelatro joyfully put it afterwards, Pope Leo “radiates compassion and acceptance,” genuinely caring about bringing people together.

In this intimate moment, the first American pope showed once again that he aims to be a pastor for everyone.

Unity and peace aren’t abstractions for Pope Leo XIV; they’re realities he enacts every time he crosses a divide and lives out the role of pontifex — the bridge-builder Christ calls him to be.

Letters from Leo is open to anyone who wants to be informed and inspired by our pope — and to turn that inspiration into action that leaves America and the world more just, less cold, and more alive with hope.

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