The Pope made the address as he met with the Vatican diplomatic corps, representing nearly 200 countries, in private ahead of his formal installation Mass this Sunday
Pope Leo XIV has made a resounding declaration on the Catholic Church’s stance regarding gay marriage and abortion, affirming that the Church’s concept of family is rooted in a “stable union between a man and a woman”.
Addressing the Vatican diplomatic corps, which includes envoys from nearly 200 nations, ahead of his official installation Mass this Sunday, the Pope’s remarks were shared by the Vatican alongside comments from the dean of the diplomatic corps.
The pontiff welcomed LGBTQ+ Catholics into the fold but reiterated that homosexual acts are considered “intrinsically disordered” within church teachings, maintaining the traditional doctrine that marriage is exclusively the union of a man and a woman.
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Pope Leo also underscored the importance of respecting the life of the unborn and the elderly, condemning abortion and euthanasia as manifestations of the prevailing “throwaway culture.”
Back in 2012, Rev. Robert Prevost denounced the “homosexual lifestyle” as incompatible with Catholic teachings, yet he recognised the late Pope Francis’ efforts in 2022 to create a more welcoming church environment, reports the Express.
In a poignant message to the world Synod of Bishops in 2012, the new pope criticised Western media for promoting sympathy towards views and actions contrary to the gospel, such as abortion, the homosexual lifestyle, and euthanasia.
He further commented that “alternative families comprised of same-sex partners and their adopted children are so benignly and sympathetically portrayed in television programs and cinema today”.
Francis DeBernardo, a representative of America’s New Ways Ministry, an organisation advocating for greater LGBTQ+ inclusion within the Catholic Church, expressed disappointment at these remarks.
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.”
It comes after the new Pope made a passionate plea for “no more war” in a powerful message to world leaders during his first Sunday address at the Vatican. last week. As tens of thousands of people crammed into St Peter’s Square to give him a rapturous welcome Pope Leo XIV demanded change.
He called for a “lasting peace” in the war in Ukraine, a ceasefire in Gaza, but praised the agreement to end recent hostilities between India and Pakistan. He described himself as “deeply hurt” by ongoing events in Gaza. The second the curtains opened and he stepped on to the balcony at noon he was greeted with a huge roar.
The pontiff continued: “I carry in my heart the suffering of the beloved Ukrainian people. May whatever is possible be done to reach an authentic, true and lasting peace as quickly as possible. May all the prisoners be freed. May children return to their families. And I am deeply hurt by what is happening in the Gaza strip.
“May a ceasefire immediately come into effect. May humanitarian aid be allowed into the civilian population and may all hostages be freed.” He went on: “I was happy to hear on the other hand that there was a ceasefire between India and Pakistan, and I hope that through the coming negotiations we might soon come to a lasting accord.”
