Importance Score: 65 / 100 🔴
Pope Leo XIV Reaffirms Church Position on Gay Marriage and Abortion
In a significant announcement, Pope Leo XIV has reaffirmed the Catholic Church’s stance on gay marriage and abortion. The pontiff stated that the Church’s definition of family is fundamentally based on a “stable union between a man and a woman,” reiterating traditional doctrine.
Remarks to the Diplomatic Corps
The Pope addressed the Vatican diplomatic corps, comprising representatives from nearly 200 nations, in a private meeting preceding his formal installation Mass on Sunday. The Vatican subsequently released the prepared statements of both Pope Leo and the dean of the diplomatic corps.
LGBTQ+ Inclusion and Church Doctrine
Pope Leo conveyed that LGBTQ+ Catholics are welcome within the Church. However, he maintained that homosexual acts are considered “intrinsically disordered,” thus not altering the existing doctrine that defines marriage as a union between a man and a woman.
Dignity of Life: Unborn and Elderly
The new pontiff also underscored the importance of the dignity of both unborn children and the elderly. He characterized abortion and euthanasia as manifestations of a modern “throwaway culture.”
Past Comments and Evolving Perspectives
In the past, Rev. Robert Prevost has criticized the “homosexual lifestyle,” asserting that same-sex relationships conflict with Catholic teachings. Nevertheless, he also acknowledged the late Pope Francis’ efforts to foster a more inclusive Church in 2022.
Addressing the world Synod of Bishops in 2012, the new Pope commented:
- “Western mass media is extraordinarily effective in fostering within the general public enormous sympathy for beliefs and practices that are at odds with the gospel, for example abortion, homosexual lifestyle, euthanasia.”
He further added:
- “Alternative families comprised of same-sex partners and their adopted children are so benignly and sympathetically portrayed in television programs and cinema today.”
Reactions to the Pope’s Statement
Francis DeBernardo, affiliated with America’s New Ways Ministry–an organization advocating for greater LGBTQ+ inclusion within the Catholic Church–expressed disappointment with the Pope’s remarks.
Hopes for Future Progress
DeBernardo stated, “We pray that in the 13 years that have passed, 12 of which were under the papacy of Pope Francis, that (Leo’s) heart and mind have developed more progressively on LGBTQ+ issues, and we will take a wait-and-see attitude to see if that has happened.”