After years of more sympathetic comments from Pope Francis, LGBTQ+ Catholics have expressed concern over remarks made by new Pope Leo XIV, who condemned what he called the “homosexual lifestyle” and “the redefinition of marriage” as “at odds with the Gospel”.
In 2012, Pope Leo that criticised Western news media and pop culture for promoting “sympathy for beliefs and practices that are at odds with the gospel.” Examples of such beliefs that Leo reportedly referenced included a “homosexual lifestyle” and “alternative families comprised of same-sex partners and their adopted children.”
Francis DeBernardo, executive director of New Ways Ministry, an LGBTQ+ Catholic group, said in a statement.“We pray that in the 13 years that have passed, 12 of which were under the papacy of Pope Francis, that his heart and mind have developed more progressively on LGBTQ+ issues.”
As a bishop in Peru, Leo also deemed “the promotion of gender ideology” in schools “confusing,” noting that “it seeks to create genders that don’t exist.”
And in 2024, Leo adopted a more ambivalent stance regarding blessings for same-sex unions. While Francis backed the practice, Leo declined to oppose or endorse a document that supported them.
During his tenure as head of the Catholic Church, Francis was known for ushering in a more inclusive period of leadership that embraced LGBTQ+ parishioners and clergy members in a new way.
“If someone is gay and he searches for the Lord and has good will, who am I to judge?” Francis said of gay clergy members in 2013. He also pushed back against laws around the world that have criminalised homosexuality and met with LGBTQ+ Catholic groups, becoming one of the first popes to do so.
In a letter published after his death, human rights campaigner Peter Tatchell wrote: “While we often disagreed on issues of LGBT+ rights, I acknowledge his more compassionate tone towards sexual minorities. His recent moves to allow blessings for same-sex couples, albeit with limitations, signalled a small but significant shift in Church doctrine.”
