Pope Leo defends traditional marriage, dignity of unborn and immigrants in private address

Pope Leo XIV has affirmed conventional Catholic doctrine relating to marriage, saying that it’s based on the “secure union between a person and a girl.”

The pope, who was elected to guide the Catholic Church on Could 8, was making his first main remarks as pontiff throughout a personal viewers with the Vatican’s diplomatic corps on Friday, the place he additionally careworn the inherent dignity of the frail and susceptible, together with the unborn, aged and immigrants.

“It’s the duty of presidency leaders to work to construct harmonious and peaceable civil societies,” the pope stated. “This may be achieved above all by investing within the household, based upon the secure union between a person and a girl.”

Whereas Pope Francis additionally stated the Church couldn’t settle for same-sex marriage, conservatives accused the late pontiff of sowing confusion among the many trustworthy by being extra welcoming than his predecessors to LGBTQ individuals and approving the blessing of people in same-sex relationships.

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Pope Leo, the primary American to guide the Catholic Church and a member of the Augustinian order, reaffirmed the Church’s place in opposition to abortion, known as for defense of spiritual freedom and stated he would proceed to pursue inter-religious dialogue.

“Nobody is exempted from striving to make sure respect for the dignity of each particular person, particularly essentially the most frail and susceptible, from the unborn to the aged, from the sick to the unemployed, residents and immigrants alike,” Leo stated.

The gathering with the Vatican’s diplomatic corps is normal protocol following the election of a brand new pope and permits him to greet representatives of world governments forward of his formal set up Mass on Sunday. Vice President JD Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, together with many different world leaders, will attend the mass, the Vatican stated. 

In emphasizing dignity for immigrants, Pope Leo famous that his circle of relatives had immigrated to america. His remarks might result in friction with President Donald Trump, who seeks to deport tens of millions of unlawful immigrants from the U.S. Trump and Pope Francis additionally publicly clashed on immigration. 

Pope Leo XIV meets with the Diplomatic Corps previous to his inaugural mass. (Vatican Media)

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“My very own story is that of a citizen, the descendant of immigrants, who in flip selected to to migrate,” Pope Leo informed ambassadors on the Vatican.

“All of us, in the middle of our lives, can discover ourselves wholesome or sick, employed or unemployed, dwelling in our place of origin or in another country, but our dignity at all times stays unchanged. It’s the dignity of a creature willed and liked by God,” he added.

Pope Leo’s father was of French and Italian descent, whereas his mom was of Spanish descent.

Pope Leo XIV seems on the balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica on the Vatican, on Could 8, 2025.  (Andrew Medichini/AP)

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Pope Leo known as on attendees to bear in mind three important phrases – “peace,” “justice” and “reality” – and stated that they characterize the pillars of the church’s missionary exercise and the goal of the Holy See’s diplomacy. 

Reality, as an example, he stated, “doesn’t create division, however reasonably allows us to confront all of the extra resolutely the challenges of our time, comparable to migration, the moral use of synthetic intelligence and the safety of our beloved planet Earth.“

“These are challenges that require dedication and cooperation on the a part of all, since nobody can consider going through them alone.

Reuters and The Related Press contributed to this report.