by VATICAN CITY — Pope Leo XIV, the first American to lead the Catholic Church, reaffirmed on Friday that the foundation of the family is the lasting union between a man and a woman. He also emphasized the inherent dignity of both the unborn and the elderly, marking a strong statement on traditional Catholic teachings regarding marriage and the sanctity of life early in his papacy.
During his first official address to the Vatican’s diplomatic corps, Pope Leo also called for a renewed commitment to multilateral diplomacy and interfaith dialogue in pursuit of global peace. Although the meeting was held privately, the Vatican later released the prepared speeches from both the pope and the dean of the diplomatic corps.
This meeting is a customary part of welcoming a new pope, offering him a chance to greet global ambassadors before his formal installation Mass, scheduled for Sunday. The Holy See, recognized as a sovereign entity in international law, maintains diplomatic relations with more than 180 countries and holds observer status at the United Nations.
Leo, a member of the Augustinian order, has made peace a central focus of his leadership. His first words to the public after being elected on May 8 were, “Peace be with you all.” In his address, he described the pursuit of peace as a core mission of the papacy. But, he added, peace is more than just the absence of war — it’s a gift that requires deliberate effort, including reducing weapons production and using careful, respectful language. “Words, like weapons, can wound and even kill,” he warned.
He stressed that building a peaceful society starts with supporting families — specifically, those based on the union of a man and a woman. “Governments must invest in the family,” he said.
The pope also called on everyone to uphold the dignity of every human being, especially the most vulnerable. “That includes the unborn, the elderly, the sick, the unemployed, and both citizens and immigrants,” he said.
Pope Francis, Leo’s predecessor, also upheld the church’s teachings against abortion and euthanasia, calling them signs of a “throwaway culture.” At the same time, Francis made significant efforts to welcome LGBTQ Catholics, stating they are loved and valued by the Church — though he did not change the Church’s doctrine defining marriage as a union between a man and a woman, or its view of homosexual acts as “intrinsically disordered.”
Years earlier, in 2012, when Leo — then Father Robert Prevost — was head of the Augustinian order, he criticized what he called the “homosexual lifestyle” and the influence of mass media in promoting it. However, a decade later during Pope Francis’ tenure, Prevost acknowledged the need for a more inclusive church and expressed a desire not to exclude anyone solely based on their lifestyle.
