Pope Leo XIV has dismissed the possibility of any immediate change to the Vatican’s stance on queer rights, saying a shift in attitudes must come before any reconsideration of doctrine. In Pope Leo XIV – The biography, Leo speaks with Vaticanist Elise Ann Allen about Church teachings.
He said, “It seems to me very unlikely, at least in the near future, that the doctrine of the Church will change its teachings on sexuality and marriage….I must confess that the issue remains in the background of my thoughts because, as we saw at the Synod, within the Church any theme related to the LGBTQ reality is highly polarising. For now, in coherence with what I have already tried to witness and live as Pope at this moment in history, I try not to fuel polarisation in the Church.”
Addressing calls for reform, he said, “I believe that we must first change attitudes before even thinking about changing what the Church teaches on a particular issue.” In July last year, Cardinal Victor Manuel Fernández of the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith said same-sex blessings would continue, but could not be compared to marriage.
