Pope Leo XIV ruled out the ordination of diaconists and assured that it is “very unlikely” to change the doctrine of the Catholic Church in issues of sexuality and marriage while reiterating that the “family is father, mother and children.”
His reflections appear in the interview conducted by the correspondent in Roma de Crux, Elise Ann Allen, which has been included in the book Leo XIV: Citizen of the World, Missionary of the 21st Century, which the Penguin publishing house in Peru publishes today in Spanish. Editions in English and Portuguese will be available in early 2026.
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In the interview, the Holy Father acknowledges that “any issue related to LGBTQ issues is highly polarizing within the Church” and ensures that, for now, he is “trying not to continue promoting polarization in the Church.”
On possible doctrinal changes, the Pontiff considered that although people want “the doctrine of the Church to change”, we have to change first “attitudes.”
“Before even thinking about changing what the Church says about any question given. It seems very unlikely, certainly in the near future, that the church doctrine changes in terms of what it teaches about sexuality and marriage,” he said.
In any case, the Pontiff reiterated that the Church’s invitation is for all, as his predecessor said: “What I try to say is what Francisco said very clearly when he said: ‘Everyone, all, all.”
Against “ritualize blessings” to same -sex couples
The Pope recalled that “the family is a man and a woman in a solemn commitment, blessed in the sacrament of marriage” and expressed concern about the initiatives that seek ritualize blessings to same -sex couples, covering themselves in the declaration Confidence in supplicating.
“In northern Europe they are already publishing rituals to bless the people who love each other,” he said after influencing that it is the way they express it, which “specifically against” the document published on December 18, 2023 and that raised some opposition in the Catholic Church.
The Pope ensures that Confidence in supplicating He says that “we can bless all people, but not seek a way of ritualizing some kind of blessing, because that is not what the Church teaches.”
LGBTI: “Church teaching will continue as it is”
Leo XIV said that while individuals “will be accepted and received” the teaching of the Church “will continue as it is.”
In addition, he stressed the importance of supporting “what they call the traditional family.”
“The family is a father, mother and children. I believe that the role of the family in society, which has suffered in recent decades, must be recognized and strengthened once again,” he insisted.
No changes, for the moment, in relations with China
The Pope also addressed the relations of the Holy See with China and said that, “in the short term, I will continue the policy that the Holy See has followed for some years.”
Although he avoided defining a definitive strategy, Leo XIV stressed that he is “in a constant dialogue with several Chinese people, on both sides” to have “a clearer understanding of how the Church can continue its mission.”
In any case, he named “the political problems that obviously have great importance” and requested respect for “a significant group of Chinese Catholics who, for many years, have lived some kind of oppression or difficulty in experiencing their faith freely and without choosing sides.”
Leo XIV recalled that the call Eastern politics Vatican has sought pragmatic solutions in recent years: “The decisions that have been made (have been) to say realistically this is what we can do right now, advancing towards the future.”
Prevent liturgy from becoming a “weapon of ideological confrontation”
The Pontiff acknowledged that the question of the Tridentine Mass – that Pope Francis limited – is still one of the “most complex and polarized themes” in the life of the Church and invited to address the debate in a listening and communion climate.
Leo XIV said that he has already “received several requests and letters” about this form of the Roman rite although he clarified that “Mass can be said in Latin right now. If it is the rite of the Vatican II, there is no problem.”
In any case, the Holy Father regretted that tensions around the liturgy have been used as a flag for other disputes in the Church. “I know that part of that problem, unfortunately, has done – again, part of a polarization process – that some use the liturgy as an excuse to promote other issues. It has become a political tool,” he lamented.
The Pontiff also referred to the way in which certain Mass celebrations according to Vatican II were made poorly, which away some faithful.
“I think sometimes he, say, ‘abuse’ of the liturgy of what we call the Mass of Vatican II, it was not useful for people who were looking for a deeper experience of prayer, contact with the mystery of faith, which seemed to find in the celebration of the Tridentine Mass,” he said.
“If we celebrate the Vatican II liturgy in an adequate way, do you really find such a difference between this experience and that experience?” The Pope questioned.
“We are in ideology, we are no longer in the experience of the communion of the Church”
Leo XIV stressed that the issue requires a true dialogue process, although he said that he has not yet had the opportunity to sit down to talk to the group of people who advocate the Tridentine rite.
“Soon an opportunity will be presented, and I am sure there will be occasions to treat it. (…) Maybe with the synodality we have to sit and talk,” he said.
However, he warned that in some sectors the attitude has become ideological, closing the possibility of meeting.
“I have heard bishops talk about that, and they tell me: ‘We invite you to this and you just don’t want to listen.’ They don’t even want to talk about it. That is a problem in itself. It means that we are now in ideology, we are no longer in the experience of the communion of the Church. That is one of the topics on the agenda,” he said
SINODALITY, KEY FOR THE UNIT
He also shared his vision about the role of the Church in an increasingly polarized world and highlighted the synodality as a key instrument for unity.
“Speaking of the Church, it is that each of its members has a voice and a role to play through prayer, reflection and dialogue. It seeks to unite people and understand that interaction, creating opportunities for encounter, is an important dimension of how we live our life as a church,” the Pope explained.
In any case, he acknowledged that some ecclesial leaders have felt “threatened” by this approach, although he clarified that it is not about questioning authority, but about building a more community church.
Discard the ordination of Diaconisas Women
Leo XIV also assured that, for the moment, he has no intention of modifying the teaching of the Church on the ordination of women to diaconate, although he reaffirmed his commitment to promote his participation in leadership roles at different levels of ecclesial life.
“I hope to follow Francisco’s steps, including the designation of women in some leadership roles, at different levels, in the life of the Church, recognizing their gifts and their contribution to the church in many ways,” said the pontiff in conversation with the journalist of Crux.
However, he made it clear that, for the moment, he does not have “the intention of changing the teaching of the Church on the subject.”
The Church has studied the question of diaconists on several occasions. During the Pontificate of Francisco, two study commissions were created to examine the historical role of diaconis women in the primitive church and discern whether that ministry could be restored today.
The meaning of an “American Pope”
The choice of a Pope from the United States for the first time in history has raised inevitable questions about the possible impact on the relationship between the Holy See and Washington.
However, Leo XIV assured that his identity as an American does not imply a particular political agenda.
“It means, among other things, that people cannot say, as they did with Francisco, ‘He does not understand the United States, he simply does not see what is happening,” said the pontiff.
The Gospel in the center
Finally, the Pope stressed that he has not planned to get involved in “partisan policy” and warned about the risks of ideological polarization.
“Ideology wants to use the Gospel instead of being the Gospel on what we should focus,” he said.
Victoria Cardiel
Victoria Cardiel is a journalist specialized in social and religious information issues. Since 2013, he has covered all the news of the Vatican for various media, such as the Spanish news agency Europa Press, or the weekly of the Archdiocese of Madrid, Alfa and Omega.