Pope Leo will follow Pope Francis’ footsteps

Pope Leo on same-sex marriage: “I will follow in Pope Francis’ footsteps”

Pope Leo’s predecessor, Francis, had declared that he would not bless same-sex marriages.

In a new interview with the online outlet Crux, Pope Leo said of the LGBTQI+ community: “They are sons or daughters of God.”

According to PinkNews, when asked about same-sex marriage, the Pope said: “I have spoken about marriage before, and Pope Francis also addressed it during his papacy. Family is the serious commitment of a man and a woman, sanctified by the sacrament of marriage. I realize that even saying this will be received negatively by some. In Northern Europe, blessing rituals for ‘people who love each other’ are already being introduced. But by their very definition, these stand in direct contradiction to the Fiducia Supplicans document endorsed by Pope Francis. That document affirms that we can bless all people, but rejects the search for a special ritual for unions; this is not the teaching of the Church.”

Continuing his remarks on LGBTQI+ people, the Pope said: “This does not mean that those people are bad people. But I think it is still very important to understand how we can accept others—those who are different from us, those who make different choices in their lives—and how we can show them respect.”

According to Reuters, Pope Leo reiterated that marriage is between a man and a woman and that “families must be supported,” adding: “The teaching of the Church will remain as it is. I hope to follow in Francis’ footsteps. In particular, the appointment of women to high-level Vatican roles is important. But when it comes directly to the priesthood, I have no intention at present to change the Church’s teaching. Individuals will be accepted and welcomed. The teaching of the Church will continue as it is; that is all I can say for now.”

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