As Pope Leo XIV established his historic role as the first American pope, global attention quickly turned to a range of moral and social issues. While his opening address championed unity, bridging the gap, and universal love, his previously documented comments on LGBTQ+ issues now resurface—and paint a more complex and sometimes contradictory picture of the church’s newest leader.

Pope Leo XIV, who was elected May 8 as head of the Roman Catholic Church, has not only inherited the enormous spiritual burden of 1.3 billion Catholics, but also the cultural challenge of navigating a deeply divided world. That includes internal divisions within the church itself, especially when it comes to LGBTQ+ inclusion, gender identity and the evolving definition of family in modern times.

The Rev. Michele Falcone, a close friend and mentor to the new pope, described Leo XIV in an interview with The New York Times as a man with a “Worthy Center Street” philosophy — a way to bridge the gap between progressive reforms and conservative traditions. It’s a diplomatic framework, but as a reporter and supporter of what Leo has done over the last decade, they are more competitive.

In 2012, Cardinal Prevost at the time spoke out strongly against what he described as “sympathy for the beliefs and practices of the Western media, which contradicts the gospel” during his tenure as archbishop of Chiclayo in Peru. He directly criticized what he described as a “homosexual lifestyle” and was concerned about “alternative families” consisting of same-sex parents and adoptive children.

That same year, he also rejected a state initiative in Peru against gender identity issues in school curricula. “The promotion of gender-specific ideology is confusing,” he told a local news outlet, “because it tries to create sexes that do not exist.”

These comments are now receiving new scrutiny. LGBTQ+ proponents and progressive Catholics have raised concerns that these comments could signal an unwillingness by the new pope to fully understand the growing demands for inclusion in the global church.

At least as critics suspect, these statements bring Leo Xiv closer to the conservative wing of the clergy that has long opposed changing the Vatican’s traditional positions on sexuality and gender.

No entanto, o tempo de escolher Leo é considerável. Ele sucede ao Papa Francisco, que -por isso, não significa um radical -promoveu a igreja para dirigir a igreja para um diálogo mais aberto com a comunidade LGBTQ+. Em 2013, Francis era famoso por uma pergunta sobre clérigos gays dizendo: “Quem sou eu para julgar?”

Essa sentença se tornou uma pedra de toque global, em um momento humildade inesperada, que ofereceu muitos católicos esperanças que se sentiam alienados pelo ensino da igreja. Com o tempo, Francis tomou medidas adicionais, incluindo permissão, para abençoar os pares LGBTQ+ e manter indivíduos trans, desde que isso não causasse um escândalo entre os crentes.

No entanto, Francis até tropeçou. Ele aprovou a publicação de um controverso documento do Vaticano em abril de 2024, no qual as operações do gênero e o conceito de fluidez de gênero foram declaradas como violações da dignidade humana.

A decisão desencadeou a contra -reação do portador LGBTQ+ e dos teólogos, o que indica que mesmo um papado mais progressivo foi restrito pela doutrina de longo prazo.

Nesse contexto, o caminho do Papa Leo Xiv parece incerto. Enquanto seus comentários anteriores aumentam as bandeiras vermelhas, seu comportamento recente indica uma possível mudança – ou pelo menos um amolecimento do som. No início deste ano, ele ganhou manchetes no X (anteriormente Twitter) quando criticou publicamente o vice-presidente dos EUA JD Vance e o uso do princípio teológico “Ordo Amoris” ou a justificativa de venda do ranking para a política de imigração da era Trump.

Um dos artigos que Leo compartilhou teve o direito de: “JD Vance está errado: Jesus não nos pede para avaliar nosso amor pelos outros”.

Essa ação não era apenas uma correção teológica sutil, mas também uma declaração clara das prioridades de Leo: ele estava votando com uma mensagem evangélica que enfatizava o amor incondicional, especialmente em relação às comunidades marginalizadas. Embora o gesto não seja diretamente por meio de problemas LGBTQ+, ele foi amplamente interpretado como um sinal de que o novo papa pode dar uma prioridade antes do julgamento antes do julgamento em sua abordagem.

De fato, várias personalidades públicas e líderes católicos expressaram otimismo. O padre James Martin, um bem conhecido padre e advogado dos católicos LGBTQ+, colocou X: “Eu sei que o Papa Leo XIV é um amigável, aberto, modesto, modesto, determinado, trabalhador, não complicado, confiável, confiável e confiável e para o que a equipe para o dev-the-the-the-the-the-the-the-the-the-the-the-the-the-the-the-the-the-the-the-the-the dev equipe é” “.

Em vista de seus muitos anos de esforço, as palavras de Martin fizeram um maior envolvimento da Igreja.

O Glaad, um dos mais famosos grupos representativos de interesse da mídia LGBTQ+ do mundo, também publicou uma explicação logo após a eleição de Leo. Sua presidente e CEO, Sarah Kate Ellis, disse: “A Igreja Católica Romana está no limiar de um novo capítulo esperançoso e integrativo”.

She also emphasized the opportunity that Leo now has to “inspire billions around the world and bring LGBTQ people closer together with compassion, dignity and love.”

However, the question remains: Will Pope Leo XIV influence this opportunity? While he has not made any explicit policy statements regarding LGBTQ+ rights or gender identity since ascending to the papacy, all eyes on his first year are a possible barometer for future change.

His experience as prefect of the dicastery for bishops — where he advised Pope Francis on global bishop dates — will allow him to navigate complex ideological landscapes, but it remains to be seen whether he will decide to change the church’s official stance or simply lighten its tone.

What remains important is the deep polarization within Catholicism itself. In many parts of Europe and North America, municipalities and younger Catholics have increasingly pushed for less LGBTQ+ neglect, while bishops in Latin America, Africa and Eastern Europe have doubled down on traditional teachings.

As a pope with American roots and Latin American pastoral experience, Leo XIV is uniquely positioned — but also politically under pressure — to find a way that does not break the church.

The renewed focus on his 2012 comments underscores the biggest challenge for a modern pope: the internet never forgets. As Catholics, LGBTQ+ supporters and political observers have seen through his past, Pope Leo XIV’s ability to develop a public perspective – and to lead the Church into deeper sympathy without alienating his conservative base – has been a testament to his ability to embrace the Church’s values.

In a church where teaching moves slowly and symbolism carries enormous weight, even small changes in the voice of the world can have an impact. It is not yet clear whether Leo XIV’s past comments will haunt his papacy or be reinterpreted as part of a larger transformation. But what is clear is this: The world is watching, and the pressure on the new pope to show empathy, clarity and courage has never been greater.