Pope Leo XIV has used one of his first public addresses as pontiff to reaffirm the Roman Catholic Church’s position on marriage, stating that the family is “founded upon the stable union between a man and a woman,” according to the Associated Press.
The statement came during a private audience with the Vatican’s diplomatic corps on Friday, with a transcript later released to the media.
While the late Pope Francis was regarded as more inclusive toward the LGBTQ+ community compared to previous popes, he maintained the Church’s longstanding doctrine on marriage. In late 2023, Francis approved blessings for same-sex couples, but emphasised that such ceremonies should not resemble weddings and were blessings for the individuals involved, not their relationships.
At the time, then-Cardinal Robert Prevost—now Pope Leo XIV—“did not fully endorse nor reject” the move, as noted in a College of Cardinals report.
Francis’ decision to permit blessings was part of a series of reforms aimed at fostering a more welcoming environment for LGBTQ+ Catholics. However, Pope Leo XIV appears less likely to continue in that direction. As bishop of Chiclayo, Peru, he opposed educational efforts to include gender theory, stating, “The promotion of gender ideology is confusing, because it seeks to create genders that don’t exist.”
He has also previously criticised Western media and culture for promoting “sympathy for beliefs and practices that are at odds with the gospel,” citing “the homosexual lifestyle” and “alternative families comprised of same-sex partners and their adopted children,” The New York Times reported from a 2012 bishops’ meeting.
Despite these views, Pope Leo has expressed a degree of compassion toward LGBTQ+ individuals. As Meidas Touch Network reports, “while he may foster a more welcoming environment, he has not signalled any openness to changing Church teaching on same-sex marriage or the ordination of women.”
Nonetheless, during Pope Francis’ tenure, Leo acknowledged the need for inclusivity, saying he did not want people to be excluded “just on the basis of their lifestyle,” according to the AP.
In his address to the diplomatic corps, Pope Leo also reiterated the Church’s opposition to abortion. “No one is exempted from striving to ensure respect for the dignity of every person, especially the most frail and vulnerable, from the unborn to the elderly, from the sick to the unemployed, citizens and immigrants alike,” he said.
Though firm in his moral and doctrinal positions, Pope Leo has sharply diverged from the Trump administration on immigration, expressing strong support for the humane treatment of migrants.
