Pope Leo XIV stance on LGBTQ+ people and other equal rights

After more than 24 hours of eager anticipation, white smoke was seen from the Sistine Chapel on Thursday, indicating that the Roman Catholic Church’s 133 eligible cardinals had reached a two-thirds majority vote to elect the next pope. The bells of St. Peter’s Basilica rang, and the crowd in St. Peter’s Square waved flags from across the globe while chanting “Viva il Papa!” or “Long live the pope.”

Approximately one hour later, 69-year-old Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost appeared on the central balcony of the basilica in Vatican City as the new head of the world’s largest Christian denomination. He donned the white papal cassock for the first time, holding back tears. Many priests, nuns, and Vatican employees gathered on surrounding rooftops, hoping to catch a glimpse of their new spiritual leader.

His chosen papal name is Leo XIV, and he now presides over more than a billion Catholics worldwide, including 53 million American Catholics. “Peace be with you all,” he said in Italian and Spanish from the balcony during his first public remarks. It is customary for the new pope to offer a blessing to the city and the world from the balcony before sharing additional comments that often provide insight into his leadership vision. Leo XIV spoke about building bridges, staying “close to those who suffered,” and stressed peace and unity.

The name a pope chooses usually reflects the direction and vision for his papacy. Prevost’s choice of Leo is linked to a lineage of Popes Leo known for strong leadership during challenging times, such as Leo XIII, who emphasised the dignity and rights of the poor and working class in the late 1800s. He is the first American to become pope and the first Peruvian citizen, having been naturalised after years of service in the country. Born and raised in the Chicago area, he was ordained after studying in Rome and is fluent in Spanish and Italian.

At a pivotal time for the Catholic Church, many wondered whether the new leadership would follow a progressive path like Francis or adopt a more conservative stance, akin to the majority of American Catholic bishops. Pope Leo XIV appears pastorally aligned with Pope Francis, who appointed him as a cardinal in 2023 and tasked him with leading a significant reform, adding three women to the voting body that decides on bishop nominations forwarded to the pope.

Some advocates opposed his papacy due to allegations of mishandling sex abuse cases in Peru and Chicago. His dioceses maintain that these accusations were dealt with according to Church policy at the time.

Leo’s papacy also arrives during a tense period between the Vatican and the Trump administration. Months before his death, Pope Francis condemned the president’s immigration policies in a letter to American bishops and criticised Vice President JD Vance’s attempts to use his Catholic faith to endorse those policies. As a cardinal, Leo XIV publicly agreed with Francis, stating on social media that “JD Vance is wrong: Jesus doesn’t ask us to rank our love for others.”

Here’s what Pope Leo XIV has expressed over the years on various issues:

While Pope Francis made significant progress toward including LGBTQ+ people in the church, Pope Leo XIV is perceived as less progressive on queer issues, according to ‘19th News’. The New York Times reported that as a bishop in Peru, he opposed including gender teaching in schools, stating, “The promotion of gender ideology is confusing, because it seeks to create genders that don’t exist.”

In 2012, he criticised Western media for fostering “sympathy” contrary to the gospel, including support for the “homosexual lifestyle” and “alternative families comprised of same-sex partners and their adopted children.”

It’s uncertain if his views have evolved. He hasn’t fully endorsed or opposed a document blessing same-sex unions in the church, although he supported Pope Francis’s broader aim for a more inclusive church. Leo appears aligned with Francis on immigrant rights, likely influenced by his time in Peru, though he’s made few public statements. Francis challenged several anti-immigrant policies from Trump in his final year, indirectly critiquing Vice President JD Vance’s views. Leo’s social media activity includes reposting criticisms of Trump, Vice President JD Vance, and Salvadoran president Nayib Bukele’s deportation plans.

The new pope hasn't clearly expressed his views on reproductive health topics such as abortion, contraception, IVF, or surrogacy. Historically, the Catholic Church has opposed these healthcare forms.

During his papacy, Pope Francis generally avoided focusing on reproductive health, though he criticised surrogacy and expressed concerns about IVF. He also commented on the 2024 election, framing it as a choice between “the lesser of two evils,” considering Democratic nominee Kamala Harris's support for abortion rights and President Donald Trump’s anti-immigration stance.

Following Francis, who championed progressive environmental policies, Leo has shown support for Francis's environmental priorities. He has advocated moving “from words to action” regarding climate change and emphasised a reciprocal relationship with the environment, endorsing the Vatican’s adoption of solar panels and electric vehicles.

After Pope Francis’s passing, social media platforms were abuzz with conclave content as people joked about the event as if discussing a celebrity gala or reality TV show. The conclave—a traditionally secretive election of older men in red robes—drew a wide audience, especially among the young and non-religious online community.

Church leaders reminded that betting on conclave results is immoral, previously an excommunicable offense. A Canadian conservative magazine resurfaced a viral video of Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle from the Philippines singing John Lennon’s “Imagine.” Influencers wore paper skull caps imitating Catholic cardinals, mixing clergy videos with Charli XCX’s music. The heightened interest coincided with the 2024 release of a movie called “Conclave.”

Since St. Peter—appointed by Jesus—there have been 266 popes. Of these, 212 were Italian, but the past 47 years have seen popes from various regions. Pope John Paul II was Polish; Pope Benedict XVI was German; and Pope Francis, an Argentine, was the first from South America. Now, for the first time, there is a pope from the United States.