Affirming Pastoral Welcome, Pope Leo Is Skeptical LGBTQ+ Church Teaching Will Change

In newly published excerpts from a book-length interview, Pope Leo XIV explicitly addresses LGBTQ+ issues in the Catholic Church, reiterating Pope Francis’ pastoral welcome, but also expressing skepticism at the prospect of any doctrinal change in the near future. The pontiff also criticized the practice of some Northern European bishops of ritualizing same-sex blessings, saying this method of blessing contradictis the Vatican’s 2023 provisions.

The interview was conducted by Crux’s Senior Correspondent Elise Anne Allen., and excerpts on a variety of subjects appeared first on that news outlet’s website.  The interviews form part of Allen’s biography of Leo entitled Leo XIV: Citizen of the World, Missionary of XXI Century, published by Penguin Random House, which was released in the Spanish-speaking world Sept. 18th.  English copies will be available in early 2026.  [For New Ways Ministry’s response to the pope’s comments on LGBTQ+ topics, see the end of this post.]

Leo’s comments on LGBTQ+ issues occur alongside remarks on women in the church and the Tridentine Mass. Allen explicitly asked him about the “hot-button” issues which arose at the Synod on Synodality, — at which Leo was a crucial participant as then-Cardinal Robert Prevost, Prefect of the Dicastery for Bishops — including “ the church’s approach to the LBGTQ+ community.”

When asked again about LGBTQ+ issues specifically, Leo began by saying “Well, I don’t have a plan at the moment.” The pope referenced a conversation he had with a Cardinal from the “global-east” who observed that the Western world was “obsessed with sexuality.” Leo said that conversation has stuck with him as he weighs the church’s polarization:

“I confess, that’s on the back of my mind, because, as we’ve seen at the synod, any issue dealing with the LGBTQ questions is highly polarizing within the Church. For now, because of what I’ve already tried to demonstrate and live out in terms of my understanding of being pope at this time in history, I’m trying not to continue to polarize or promote polarization in the church.”

Leo, whose use of the acronym LGBTQ has garnered praise, stressed that individuals are welcome in the church regardless of their identities, invoking Francis’ famous slogan of todos, todos, todos. However, the pope emphasized that pastoral welcome is not the same as doctrinal affirmation: 

“Everyone’s invited in, but I don’t invite a person in because they are or are not of any specific identity. I invite a person in because they are a son or daughter of God. You’re all welcome, and let’s get to know one another and respect one another. At some point, when specific questions will come up… People want the church doctrine to change, want attitudes to change. I think we have to change attitudes before we even think about changing what the Church says about any given question. 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].”

Later in the same portion of the interview, Leo restates his position, acknowledging a desire among some for more formal recognition of LGBTQ+ Catholics. He again emphasized the unconditional acceptance he expects from the church, expressing confidence in pastors’ ability to welcome diverse individuals:

“I do understand that this is a very hot-button topic and that some people will make demands to say, “we want the recognition of gay marriage,” for example, or “we want recognition of people who are trans,” to say this is officially recognized and approved by the church. The individuals will be accepted and received. Any priest who has ever heard confessions will have heard confessions from all kinds of people with all kinds of issues, all kinds of states of life and choices that are made. I think that the Church’s teaching will continue as it is, and that’s what I have to say about that for right now. I think it’s very important.”

Part of why Leo thinks the church’s teaching on sexuality is “very important” is its emphasis on the family as “being a man and a woman in solemn commitment, blessed in the sacrament of marriage.” 

Leo disapproved of developments in what he referred to as “Northern Europe” regarding the blessings of same-sex couples. Bishops from the Flemish-speaking areas of Belgium had instituted blessings for same-gender couples in early 2023, before the Vatican had issued approval of such a practice. And more recently, as covered in-depth by Bondings 2.0, the German church has proposed and widely adopted ritual guidelines for such blessings, so far without any backlash from Rome. Yet Leo made clear that such provisions are not aligned with Francis’ parameters as set out in the 2023 document Fiducia Supplicans: 

“In Northern Europe they are already publishing rituals of blessing ‘people who love one another’, is the way they express it, which goes specifically against the document that Pope Francis approved, Fiducia Supplicans, which basically says, of course we can bless all people, but it doesn’t look for a way of ritualizing some kind of blessing because that’s not what the Church teaches.”

Francis DeBernardo, executive director of New Ways Ministry commented on the LGBTQ+ content in the interview: 

“While it is good to get a better idea of where Pope Leo XIV stands on LGBTQ+ issues, it is disappointing to learn that he doesn’t believe that church teaching in this area will change any time soon. Pope Leo reveals himself as a pragmatist on this question: he recognizes that the entire global church is not ready for such a change in teaching, which is true.  Even without changing church teaching, though, Leo as the pontiff, could take steps to help promote a more welcoming approach to LGBTQ+ topics. 

“Based on numerous statements from some bishops in countries where LGBTQ+ cannot be visible, it is obvious that these prelates need greater education about the reality of LGBTQ+ lives. It is sorely evident to many that many bishops have had little education about gender and sexuality, and yet these areas continue to dominate the divisions in the church. As a servant to his brother bishops, Leo could institute better education in this regard. Education does not lead to polarization. It helps reduce such division.

“It is positive to hear that he will continue the welcome that Pope Francis inaugurated.  Making some public gestures with LGBTQ+ people would go a long way to continue the positive messaging that Francis exemplified. 

“While Pope Leo’s position on not changing doctrine is actually very similar to the position that Pope Francis maintained through inaction, if not in words. But there is no denying that Francis had a positive impact on LGBTQ+issues.Through his interactions in person, on the phone, and through the mail, he visibly welcomed LGBTQ+ people, and at the same time these gestures encouraged church leaders to do likewise.  

“Pope Leo is early in his pontificate.  We hope that he will soon begin to put into action his words that all are children of God.”

—Jeromiah Taylor, New Ways Ministry, September 19, 2025