Pope Leo XIV emphasized a pastoral approach rooted in universal welcome and mutual respect, while firmly signaling no imminent changes to core doctrines on sexuality and marriage.
Newsroom (18/09/2025, Gaudium Press ) In a candid exchange that underscores the ongoing tensions within the Catholic Church over LGBTQ+ issues, Pope Leo XIV emphasized a pastoral approach rooted in universal welcome and mutual respect, while firmly signaling no imminent changes to core doctrines on sexuality and marriage. Speaking to Crux Now, the pontiff reflected on the polarizing nature of these topics, drawing on personal experiences and the legacy of his predecessor, Pope Francis, to advocate for dialogue over division.
The interview, conducted amid growing calls from progressive voices for greater recognition of LGBTQ+ relationships, highlighted Leo XIV’s cautious stance. When pressed by Crux Now on how his papacy might differ in tone or substance from Francis’s on this “ideological issue,” the pope acknowledged the shift in discourse under Francis but stopped short of outlining a specific agenda.
“Well, I don’t have a plan at the moment,” Leo XIV said, noting that he had fielded similar questions in his early months as pope. He recalled a pre-papal conversation with a cardinal from “the eastern part of the world” who critiqued what he described as the Western world’s “fixation” and “obsession with sexuality.” For many in non-Western contexts, the pope explained, sexual identity is not the primary lens through which human relationships are viewed.
This global perspective, Leo XIV suggested, informs his reluctance to exacerbate divisions within the Church, particularly following the Synod on Synodality, where LGBTQ+ questions proved highly contentious. “I’m trying not to continue to polarize or promote polarization in the church,” he stated, positioning his leadership as one focused on healing fractures rather than deepening them.
Echoing Francis’s inclusive mantra of “todos, todos, todos” – everyone, everyone, everyone – Leo XIV stressed that the Church’s doors are open to all, not based on specific identities but on shared humanity as “sons or daughters of God.” “You’re all welcome, and let’s get to know one another and respect one another,” he said. However, he drew a clear line between personal acceptance and doctrinal reform, arguing that “we have to change attitudes before we even think about changing what the Church says about any given question.”
On the prospect of altering Church teachings, Leo XIV was unequivocal: “I find it highly unlikely, certainly in the near future, that the church’s doctrine in terms of what the church teaches about sexuality, what the Church teaches about marriage, [will change].” He reiterated the traditional definition of marriage as a “solemn commitment” between a man and a woman, blessed in the sacrament, a view he noted aligns with Francis’s own statements. Even voicing this, the pope conceded, might provoke backlash: “I understand some people will take that badly.”
The pontiff addressed emerging practices in parts of the Church, particularly in Northern Europe, where some dioceses have published rituals for blessing “people who love one another” – a phrasing he said directly contravenes Fiducia Supplicans, the 2023 document approved by Francis. That declaration, Leo XIV reminded, allows for blessings of individuals but prohibits ritualized blessings that could imply endorsement of non-traditional unions. “Of course we can bless all people,” he clarified, “but it doesn’t look for a way of ritualizing some kind of blessing because that’s not what the Church teaches.”
Despite this firm adherence to doctrine, Leo XIV underscored compassion for individuals. “That doesn’t mean those people are bad people,” he said, urging acceptance of “others who are different than we are” and respect for personal choices. He acknowledged the “hot-button” demands for Church recognition of gay marriage or transgender identities but maintained that while individuals would always be “accepted and received,” official approval of such lifestyles remains off the table. Drawing from the confessional experience common to priests, he noted that clergy routinely encounter “all kinds of people with all kinds of issues,” reinforcing the Church’s role as a merciful institution without compromising its teachings.
Shifting to broader societal implications, Leo XIV championed the “traditional family” – defined as “father, mother, and children” – as a cornerstone in need of renewed support. He lamented how families have “suffered in recent decades” and posited that societal polarization might stem from weakened family structures, where individuals first learn “how to love one another, how to live with one another, how to tolerate one another, and how to form the bonds of communion.” “If we take away that basic building block,” he warned, “it becomes very difficult to learn that in other ways.”
In a rare personal aside, the pope credited his own upbringing for shaping his worldview. “I believe I’m who I am because I had a wonderful relationship with my father and my mother,” he shared, describing their over-40-year marriage as a model of happiness. Even amid political differences among his siblings, family bonds remain strong, he said, underscoring the formative power of such environments. “In my experience, that has been an extremely important factor of who I am and how I’m even able to be who I am right now.”
This interview comes at a pivotal moment for the Church, as progressive factions in Europe and North America push for reforms, while conservative voices in Africa, Asia, and Latin America often resist, viewing such changes as cultural impositions from the West. Leo XIV’s comments appear to thread a needle: affirming Francis’s pastoral openness while reinforcing doctrinal continuity, a balance that could define his papacy.
Church observers note that Leo XIV’s approach mirrors broader efforts to foster synodality – a process of listening and discernment – without yielding on immutable teachings. Yet, critics on both sides may find fault: progressives for the lack of concrete progress, and traditionalists for any perceived softening in tone.
As the Church grapples with these issues, Leo XIV’s words signal a pontificate prioritizing relational healing over rapid transformation. “I think it’s very important,” he concluded on the matter, leaving room for future developments while anchoring his vision in timeless principles.
- Raju Hasmukh with files from Crux Now
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