Pope Leo XIV reaffirmed core Catholic teachings on marriage and abortion Friday, emphasizing that the family is founded on a “stable union between a man and a woman” and that unborn children possess inherent dignity as creations of God.
Pope Leo, the first American to lead the Catholic Church, made the remarks during his inaugural meeting with the Vatican diplomatic corps. Although the audience was held in private, the Vatican released both the pope’s prepared remarks and those of the dean of the diplomatic corps.
The meeting, a traditional step following a papal conclave, serves as an opportunity for the newly elected pope to greet representatives of global governments ahead of his formal installation Mass, scheduled for this Sunday, Fox Local reported.
Leo’s comments are not likely to sit well with Democrats who have long supported gay marriage and abortion. By comparison, they will delight traditional Catholics, many of whom saw the late Pope Francis as far too liberal on such issues.
Leo, a member of the Augustinian religious order, also called for a renewed commitment to multilateral diplomacy and the promotion of interfaith dialogue in the pursuit of global peace. Vatican City, recognized as a sovereign state under international law, maintains diplomatic relations with more than 180 countries and holds observer status at the United Nations.
From the moment of his election on May 8, Pope Leo XIV has made peace a central theme of his pontificate, beginning with his first words from the loggia of St. Peter’s Basilica: “Peace be with you all.” He has emphasized that peace is more than just the absence of war—it is a “gift” that demands active effort, from halting weapons production to practicing thoughtful, measured speech, Fox Local noted.
“For words too, not only weapons, can wound and even kill,” he said.
The pontiff added that was up to governments to build peaceful societies “above all by investing in the family, founded upon the stable union between a man and a woman.”
“In addition, 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.
Pope Francis firmly reaffirmed traditional Catholic teachings opposing abortion and euthanasia, describing them as manifestations of today’s “throwaway culture.” At the same time, he made outreach to LGBTQ+ Catholics a defining aspect of his papacy, consistently emphasizing that they are welcome in the Church. However, he did not alter Church doctrine, which defines marriage as a union between a man and a woman and continues to describe homosexual acts as “intrinsically disordered.”
In 2012, while serving as head of the Augustinian order, Leo criticized what he described as the “homosexual lifestyle” and the influence of mass media in promoting acceptance of same-sex relationships that he said conflicted with Catholic teaching, Fox Local reported.
A decade later, during Pope Francis’ pontificate, he expressed support for Francis’ call for a more inclusive Church, stating that he did not believe anyone should be excluded solely because of their lifestyle.
Meanwhile, the pontiff’s oldest brother defended his choice to share a social media post referring to California Rep. Nancy Pelosi as a “drunk c-t,” saying Monday, “I wouldn’t have posted it if I didn’t kind of believe it.”
Louis Prevost did not apologize for the foul-mouthed comment hurled at the former House speaker while predicting to British TV host Piers Morgan what President Trump’s first encounter with the next pope will be like.
“However, I had no idea what was coming this soon, and I can tell you, since then, I’ve been very quiet, biting my tongue at some of the stuff that is out there on social media,” he added, noting he’s a “MAGA type” but doesn’t want to create problems for his brother.