The election of Pope Leo XIV, formerly Cardinal Robert Prevost, has sparked a renewed debate over the Catholic Church’s approach to LGBTQ+ inclusion. The American-born pontiff, chosen Thursday to succeed Pope Francis, is being scrutinised for past remarks about homosexuality and media influence that resurfaced shortly after his election.In a 2012 address during his tenure as the Augustinian prior general in Chicago, Prevost criticised what he described as the “homosexual lifestyle” and said Western media had contributed to normalising beliefs that conflicted with Catholic teachings. He pointed specifically to the sympathetic portrayal of same-sex families in television and films, grouping such portrayals with issues like abortion and euthanasia as being “at odds with the gospel.”“Western mass media is extraordinarily effective in fostering within the general public enormous sympathy for beliefs and practices that are at odds with the gospel, for example abortion, homosexual lifestyle, euthanasia,” Prevost had said.
The resurfacing of these comments prompted concern from LGBTQ+ advocacy groups. Francis DeBernardo of New Ways Ministry said they were “disappointing” but expressed cautious optimism. “We pray that in the 13 years since, especially under Pope Francis, his heart and mind have developed more progressively on LGBTQ+ issues,” DeBernardo said. In 2023, upon becoming a cardinal, Prevost acknowledged Pope Francis’ efforts to promote a more inclusive Church. He said that while the Church’s core doctrines had not changed, all people should feel welcome. “We are looking to be more welcoming and more open,” he said at the time. LGBTQ+ advocates are now watching closely to see if Pope Leo XIV will continue Francis’ legacy of pastoral inclusion. GLAAD urged the new pope to build on the progress made. “With Pope Leo XIV’s leadership, there is an extraordinary opportunity to embrace LGBTQ people with compassion, dignity, and love,” said GLAAD’s president Sarah Kate Ellis.The Church’s official doctrine still defines same-sex relationships as “intrinsically disordered,” a stance that remains a barrier to full acceptance for many LGBTQ+ Catholics
