Pope Leo XIV Puts the Brakes on Church Reforms

Pope Leo XIV, in his first published interview since being elected four months ago, has sought to reassure Catholics that he will not change core Church doctrines regarding gay marriage and women deacons, signalling a more cautious approach compared with his predecessor’s divisive papacy.

The US-born pontiff, who was elected amid deep internal divisions within the Church, adopted a markedly different tone from outspoken Pope Francis, whose attempts to modernise the Church sparked controversy among traditionalists.

In an interview with US journalist Elise Ann Allen for her book “Pope Leo XIV: Global Citizen, Missionary of the 21st Century”, Leo acknowledged that: “People want the Church doctrine to change, want attitudes to change. But we have to change attitudes before we even think about changing what the Church says about any given question.”

Leo expressed alignment with Francis in welcoming all individuals to the Church, but emphasised that entry is not dependent on anyone’s identity: “I share the desire to welcome everyone, but I don’t invite a person in because they are or are not of any specific identity.”

He stated it is highly unlikely, at least in the near future, that Church teaching on sexuality or marriage will change: “I think that the Church’s teaching will continue as it is.”

Francis’s decision to authorise blessings for same-sex couples in limited circumstances provoked backlash from conservatives, particularly in Africa and the United States. Leo commented: “Any issue dealing with LGBTQ questions is highly polarising. I’m trying not to continue to polarise or promote polarization in the Church.”

While he met with prominent LGBTQ advocate Father James Martin in a private audience, he did not publicly address the approximately 1,400 LGBTQ+ Catholics who visited the Vatican. He reiterated support for traditional family structures, defining them as: “Father, mother, and children.”

On the contentious issue of women deacons, which Francis had encouraged Catholic experts to explore, Leo said: “At the moment I don’t have an intention of changing the teaching of the Church on the topic, though I’m certainly willing to continue to listen to people.”

Addressing one of the Church’s most persistent scandals, sexual abuse of children by priests, Leo acknowledged the gravity but clarified that it would not be the central focus of his papacy. He emphasised: “Accused priests are innocent until proven guilty and must be protected as such. We can’t make the whole Church focus exclusively on this issue.”

Reflecting on his transition to the papacy and life in the Vatican, Leo said:“It’s quite frankly not an easy thing to give up everything that you were and had in the past and take on a role that’s 24 hours a day, basically, and so public.”

He noted that some aspects of the role were easier than others, describing his early approach as dipping a ‘big toe into the shallow end’ of Church governance.

On financial matters, he expressed confidence due to his background:  “The Vatican’s financial woes do not keep me awake, because of my bit of knowledge and background in lots of different kinds of financial matters.”

However, he voiced concern over global wealth inequality, highlighting news that Elon Musk is set to become the world’s first trillionaire: “If that is the only thing that has value anymore, then we’re in big trouble.”

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