Pope Leo XIV, in his first major address as pontiff, firmly reiterated the Catholic Church’s traditional teachings on marriage, emphasizing it as the “stable union between a man and a woman.”

 

The first American pope, elected just over a week ago on May 8, delivered his remarks during a private audience with the Vatican’s diplomatic corps on Friday, where he also championed the inherent dignity of all individuals, particularly the frail and vulnerable.

 

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The pontiff, a member of the Augustinian order, underscored the critical role of the family in fostering civil society. “It is the responsibility of government leaders to work to build harmonious and peaceful civil societies,” Pope Leo stated. “This can be achieved above all by investing in the family, founded upon the stable union between a man and a woman.”

 

This pronouncement on marriage draws a clear line, particularly in contrast to the papacy of his predecessor, Pope Francis. While Pope Francis also maintained the Church’s inability to accept same-sex marriage, his more welcoming approach to LGBTQ individuals and approval of blessings for those in same-sex relationships had led to accusations from some conservatives of sowing confusion among the faithful.

 

Pope Leo also reaffirmed the Church’s unwavering stance against abortion and called for robust protection of religious freedom. He pledged to continue pursuing inter-religious dialogue as a cornerstone of the Holy See’s diplomacy.

“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,” Leo declared, echoing a central theme of his address.

The gathering with the Vatican’s diplomatic corps is a customary precursor to a new pope’s formal installation. Pope Leo’s installation Mass is scheduled for Sunday and is expected to draw a significant number of world leaders, including Vice President JD Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

 

In a poignant moment during his speech, Pope Leo highlighted his own family’s immigrant roots, noting that his “own story is that of a citizen, the descendant of immigrants, who in turn chose to emigrate.”

This emphasis on the dignity of immigrants, while consistent with Catholic social teaching, could potentially lead to friction with U.S.

 

President Donald Trump, who has pursued a policy of deporting millions of undocumented immigrants. Trump and Pope Francis had also publicly disagreed on immigration matters.
“All of us, in the course of our lives, can find ourselves healthy or sick, employed or unemployed, living in our native land or in a foreign country, yet our dignity always remains unchanged. It is the dignity of a creature willed and loved by God,” he elaborated. Pope Leo’s father is of French and Italian descent, and his mother is of Spanish descent.

 

Concluding his address, Pope Leo urged the diplomatic corps to keep in mind three essential words – “peace,” “justice,” and “truth” – describing them as the pillars of the Church’s missionary activity and the aim of the Holy See’s diplomacy.

He emphasized that truth, in particular, “does not create division, but rather enables us to confront all the more resolutely the challenges of our time, such as migration, the ethical use of artificial intelligence and the protection of our beloved planet Earth.”

 

These, he stated, “are challenges that require commitment and cooperation on the part of all, since no one can think of facing them alone.”