Pope Leo XIV will be remembered as a pope of many firsts. He is the Roman Catholic Church’s first ever American-born pope and its first Augustinian leader.
His predecessor, the late Pope Francis was hailed as a trailblazer for social change within the Catholic church, but will Pope Leo XIV continue to pioneer as the progressive pontiff before him did?
Here is everything we know so far about Pope Leo XIV’s views.
What are Pope Leo XIV’s views on the LGBTQ+ community?
The late Pope Francis will be remembered for his attempts to make the church more inclusive, particularly towards members of the LGBTQ+ community.
Questions have long been asked about whether Pope Leo XIV will feel the same. Previously, in his 2012 address, Pope Leo expressed concerns that Western culture encourages “enormous sympathy for beliefs and practices that are at odds with the Gospel”, referencing abortion, homosexuality, and same-sex partner families.
In his most recent address, the Pope reaffirmed this view. He said: “It is the responsibility of government leaders to work to build harmonious and peaceful civil societies. This can be achieved above all by investing in the family, founded upon the stable union between a man and a woman.”
Whilst he was serving as a bishop in the Peruvian city of Chiclayo, he opposed a government plan to add teachings on gender to the curriculum.
He told a local Peruvian newspaper Diario Correo: “The idea of promoting gender ideology is confusing because it seeks to create genders that don’t exist. So God created man and woman, and the attempt to confuse ideas from nature will only harm families and people.”
“To talk about matters of ideology and sexual orientation with a child who hasn’t yet reached a sufficient age of development will create much confusion,” he added.
See also: Who is Pope Leo XIV?
What does Pope Leo XIV think of migrants?
Pope Leo XIV is believed to be an advocate for migrants. In his most recent speech, he drew on his own background as a Chicagoan who lived in Peru for many years as a missionary. His ancestors have been said to have come from either Haiti or the Dominican Republic, with his family also having roots in the Creole culture of the New Orleans in Louisiana, US.
He said: “My story is that of a citizen, the descendant of immigrants, who in turn choose to emigrate.
“All of us, in the course of our lives, can find ourselves healthy or sick, employed or unemployed, living in our native land or in a foreign country, yet our dignity always remains unchanged. It is the dignity of a creature willed and loved by God.”
According to the UN refugee agency, Peru is home to more than 1.5 million forcibly displaced Venezuelans, making it a hub for many refugees fleeing economic and humanitarian crisis.
When serving as a bishop in the city, Pope Leo advocated for better migrant treatment in the city. Jesus Leon Angeles, the coordinator of a Catholic group in Chiclayo, told Reuters that Pope Leo is “a person who likes to help” and had showed special concern towards Venezuelan migrants.
What is the Pope’s attitude towards Trump?
As a US citizen, Pope Leo is able to vote in US elections. He voted in the 2012, 2014, 2016, and 2024 elections; both the Republican primary elections and the general election, according to Politico. However, it is unclear who he voted for as Illinois votes are not required to register as a member of a political party.
That said, information on his social media accounts has been revealing about his views on US politics.
In a now-deleted post, Pope Leo XIV retweeted the post of a bishop who asked, “Is your conscience not disturbed? How can you stay quiet”, in response to the Trump administration’s partnership with El Salvador to deport immigrants without legal status.
He has also been said to have reposted op-eds disagreeing with Vice President JD Vance’s comments on the Christian hierarchy of love.
That said, Pope Leo XIV, JD Vance, and US Secretary of State Marco Rubio met at the Pope’s inaugural mass on Sunday in a private papal audience lasting around 45 minutes.
The Vatican said in a statement that: “There was an exchange of views on current international issues with a shared call for respect for humanitarian and international law in conflict zones, and support for negotiated solutions among the parties involved.”
He has also publicly shared messages in support of George Floyd after he was murdered by a police officer and has voiced opposition to the death penalty.
What does the Pope think of climate change?
Pope Leo XIV has called for the church to move “from words to action” when it comes to climate change. Many of his views mirror that of the late Pope Francis.
Pope Leo XIV has celebrated the Vatican’s moves to be more green, welcoming Pope Francis’ solar installation and shift to electric vehicles.
He said that humanity’s “dominion over nature” should not be “tyrannical” but should be a relationship of reciprocity with the environment.
Pope Leo XIV’s legacy is still very much unwritten and how he chooses to shape the age-old institution is still very much unknown. What he will do and how the church will change - only time will tell.
