The pontiff noted that disputes over the topic of LGBT people will sow even more discord in the world than unity if we argue about it.
Pope Leo XIV stated that the Catholic Church should prioritize issues of inequality and justice over issues of sexual ethics. This was reported by Doberman.media citing Reuters.
“The unity or division of the Church should not revolve around sexual issues”, – said Leo XIV at a press conference during his flight home on Thursday, responding to a question about the Church’s stance on same-sex marriage.
Experts believe that the pontiff's stance could have long-term implications for the Church's 1.4 billion members.
“I believe there are far more important issues—such as justice and equality—that should take priority over this particular issue.”", he said.
Marianna Daddie-Berk, executive director of Dignity USA, a group that supports LGBT Catholics, called the Pope's remark “a very significant and long-overdue reorientation of priorities”.
Priests and bishops of the global Church have long regarded its teachings on sexual matters—including the prohibition of abortion, birth control, and same-sex marriage—as top priorities.
The Pope also stated that he supports the landmark decision made by the late Pope Francis in 2023, which allows pastors to offer blessings to same-sex couples informally, outside of a liturgical service, and on a case-by-case basis.
But Leo XIV said that he wanted to give priority to other ethical issues and did not want blessings to become even more formalized.
“If we go beyond that today, I think this issue could cause more division than unity,” said the 70-year-old pontiff.
The Reverend James Keenan, a scholar at Boston College, described Leo’s approach as a new one for the universal Church.
“The Pope maintains that the Vatican has a hierarchy of issues, and the perception that issues of sexuality are the sole priority does not correspond to reality,” — said Keenan, a Jesuit priest who founded a global network of Catholic scholars focused on ethical issues.
He also added that “This is clearly a sensible judgment on the part of the pontiff… that the issue of blessing same-sex marriages should not overshadow the more pressing challenges of dictatorships and war.”
- As is well known, the Catholic Church teaches that sexual relations outside of heterosexual marriage are sinful. Its teaching states that people with same-sex attractions should strive to live chastely.
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