LEXINGTON, Kentucky (LifeSiteNews) — Heterodox Kentucky Bishop John Stowe penned an essay praising Pope Francis for having “inspired” him to repeatedly thumb his nose at immutable Church teaching on LGBT issues.

Stowe published an article for left-wing Jesuit James Martin’s Outreach website on April 25. In it, he claimed Francis “ushered in a new era of openness.”

“Pope Francis inspired me to take a risk; more importantly, Pope Francis inspired me to deeply listen. The more I listened to [so-called] LGBTQ persons, the more I was touched by their depth of faith and their desire for love and inclusion by the church,” Stowe wrote.

Stowe has made headlines for repeatedly attacking immutable Church teaching on faith and morals since being named the bishop of Lexington, Kentucky, by Francis in March 2015. Not only has he spoken at dissident Catholic conferences and led an “LGBT retreat” at the University of Notre Dame, he has attempted to normalize the homosexual inclination by falsely arguing that it is “hurtful” to describe homosexuality as being “intrinsically disordered.”

Stowe’s most recent subversion of the Holy Spirit came when he allowed a gender-confused woman named Nicole Matson to live with a community in his diocese as a male hermit under the name “Brother Christian.”

Join Bishop Strickland’s novena for a holy pope:

Stowe offered more words of praise for Francis in his essay. He notably argued that when Francis infamously replied “who am I to judge?” to a question about homosexuals, he was actually leading the Church down “a new opening to LGBTQ issues.”

“Pope Francis knew very well that the walk must come before the talk; that is, new attitudes of inclusion and lived experience will lead to new ways of reflecting upon that experience and new ways of formulating the questions and answers that arise,” he argued.

Stowe further claimed that Francis’ “off-hand remarks often resonated, stirred discussion, and provided food for reflection.” Francis also “sought to form pastors ready to accompany people and discern with them how to be better disciples.”

Stowe additionally recalled that Francis “regularly received and interacted with [so-called] transgender persons” and homosexual “couples,” “including former students of his, in the Vatican and in other parts of the world.”

The upcoming conclave for the College of Cardinals is set to open on May 7. Early speculation has been that Francis’ Secretary of State, Pietro Parolin, is the frontrunner while Cardinal Robert Sarah and Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa are being heralded as possible “conservative” contenders.