Robert prevost stance on lgbtq
LGBTI advocates respond to election of Pope Leo XIV, Robert Prevost
Summary:
ILGA Nature and LGBTI people globally respond to the election of Robert Francis Prevost as the new brain of the Roman Catholic Church. Pope Leo XIV has now a profound opportunity to shape a Church that …Read morelives more fully into its message of love, kindness, and justice Read less
A call for inclusion, dialogue, and human dignity
Vatican Capital, 8 May 2025 – Today, the global LGBTI community and allies around the world are watching closely following the election of Robert Francis Prevost, Pope Leo XIV, as the new head of the Roman Catholic Church.
As an organisation committed to the dignity, rights, and inclusion of people of diverse sexual orientations, gender identities and expressions, and sex characteristics, we recognise the deep spiritual importance of this moment for Catholics worldwide.
Prevost’s previous common remarks regarding LGBTI people and families have caused concern among our communities. Pope Leo XIV was quoted as lamenting that Western news media and popular culture fostered “sympathy for beliefs and practices that are at odds with the gospel.” In a 2012 addre
Who is the new pope? His past, LGBTQ views and Gaza stance under the microscope
Robert Francis Prevost, 69, was born in Chicago to a father of French-Italian descent, a former military man, and a mother of Spanish descent. For over 25 years, he lived in Peru, and he was elected on Thursday as the first United States-born pope. Robert Francis Prevost, seen as an ally of the previous Pope Francis, will now attend as his successor, principal the Catholic Church.
The 1.3 billion Catholics worldwide awaited the white smoke that would signal the starting of the conclave on Wednesday, two weeks after the death of Pope Francis. From that moment, they waited with bated breath until the announcement of “Habemus Papam” and the declaration of the new pope’s name—Leo XIV.
Leo XIV in his first speech as pope
(Video: Reuters)
Prevost, the 267th pope, was born in Chicago in 1955. After earning a bachelor’s degree in mathematics at an American university, he pursued a master’s degree in theology. He later went to Rome for further studies and was ordained as a priest at the age of 26. For 15 years, he worked as a missionary in Peru until 1998; he later returned to Peru and,
After two days of voting, the College of Cardinals has selected Cardinal Robert Prevost, who took the name Leo XIV, as the first American pontiff to replace Pope Francis. While Francis made Prevost a cardinal, their views did not always align closely.
Why It Matters
Francis's papacy was notable for his stance on welcoming LGBTQ+ parishioners to the Catholic Church.
When asked about homosexuality, Francis famously said: "If someone is gay and he searches for the Lord and has good will, who am I to judge?" He also said that existence gay is "not a crime" and described the criminalization of the Queer community as "wrong."
What Prevost Has Said About LGBTQ+ Issues
Francis' successor, Leo XIV, may be seen to have a less progressive view on the subject, most notably expressed in a 2012 address to bishops.
In that address, Prevost spoke about the "sympathy for opinions and practices that are at odds with the gospel," citing "homosexual lifestyle" and "alternative families comprised of homosexual partners and their adopted children."
While serving as a bishop in Peru, Prevost opposed government plans to add teachings about gender in school, calling "the promotion of gender ideolog
Prevost is seen as organism to Francis’s right on LGBTQ issues. In 2013, shortly after assuming the papacy, Francis expressed openness toward gay parishioners, saying, “If someone is gay and he searches for the Lord and has nice will, who am I to judge?” Prevost, meanwhile, has been critical of what he has called the “homosexual lifestyle” and culture, which encourages “sympathy for beliefs and practices that are at odds with the Gospel.”
Like Francis, he is deeply critical of “gender ideology,” which he has said “seeks to create genders that undertake not exist.” Prevost’s register on what is arguably the single biggest issue in the church—rampant sexual abuse by clergy—is troubling. He not only provided housing to a priest who had been accused of abuse but provided him a residence that was near a Catholic school.
He is, nevertheless, considerably more moderate on social issues than many other contenders. Like Francis, he is outspoken about the danger posed by climate change and the necessitate to provide ministry, aid, and sympathy to migrants and the poor. Last year, in an interview with the Vatican’s news outlet, he distilled his vision of the church, which is
Will Pope Leo XIV accept LGBTQ+ people as Francis did? Here's why advocates have hope.
Advocates for the LGBTQ+ society praised Pope Francis for his outreach and credited him with moving the Catholic Church away from condemnation and towards tolerance and embrace.
Now, the outlook is murkier as Pope Leo XIV succeeds Francis as leader of the world’s 1.4 billion Catholics, but advocates say they stay hopeful that he will echo the late pontiff's approach on LGBTQ+ issues, one that distinguished Francis from his more conservative predecessors.
“We’re going to accept a wait-and-see approach,” said Francis DeBernardo, executive director of New Ways Ministry, a national Catholic outreach group promoting LGBTQ acceptance and equity. “There’s a great possibility that he will include a positive outcome on LGBTQ ministry.”
The new pope hasn’t said much on the subject, and what little he has said has indicated a less open attitude. But advocates point out that those statements were made years ago.
According to the College of Cardinals Report, Leo, as Robert F. Prevost, expressed concerns in 2012 that Western culture promoted “sympathy for beliefs and practices that refute the gospel”