The Pope spoke on a spread of matters — from the Trump administration to the clergy sexual abuse disaster, welcoming LGBTQIA+ Catholics and Vatican-China relations — within the interview, printed Thursday (September 18, 2025).
It was performed by Vatican correspondent Elise Ann Allen of the information web site Crux for a biography of Pope Leo that was printed Thursday (September 18) in Peru, the place he was bishop for a few years.
On LGBTQIA+ rights
The Catholic Church teaches that gay individuals have to be handled with dignity and respect, however that gay exercise is “intrinsically disordered”, he mentioned.
It opposes homosexual marriage, saying marriage is a union between a person and lady. “Everyone’s invited in, however I do not invite an individual in as a result of they’re or are usually not of any particular id. I invite an individual in as a result of they’re a son or daughter of God,” Pope Leo mentioned.
“I believe we’ve got to alter attitudes earlier than we even take into consideration altering what the church says about any given query,” he mentioned.
Ties with China
Pope Leo mentioned he did not foresee any short-term modifications within the Vatican’s controversial 2018 settlement with Beijing over bishop nominations.
The Vatican underneath Pope Francis had inked the accord hoping it could assist unite China’s estimated 12 million Catholics, lengthy divided between these belonging to an official, State-sanctioned church and an underground church loyal to Rome.
“I by no means fake to be wiser or extra skilled than all those that have come earlier than me,” the Pope mentioned, including he was finding out the problem and talking with Chinese individuals “on either side” about it.
The Vatican has defended the 2018 accord towards criticism that Pope Francis bought out the underground trustworthy, who endured many years of persecution by the Beijing authorities. The Vatican has mentioned the deal was needed to forestall an excellent worse schism within the Chinese church after China named bishops with out the pope’s consent.
Sex abuse scandals
Pope Leo mentioned the intercourse abuse disaster is “an actual disaster” that has not but been solved, and that the church nonetheless hasn’t discovered a method to assist victims heal. But he additionally mentioned the rights of monks have to be revered. “Statistics present that effectively over 90 per cent of people that come ahead and make accusations, they’re authentically victims. They are telling the reality. They don’t make this up,” he mentioned.
“But there have additionally been confirmed circumstances of some form of false accusation. There have been monks whose lives have been destroyed due to that,” he added.
The pope additionally mentioned the scandal “can’t turn out to be the centre focus of the church.” He was instrumental in serving to victims of an abusive Peruvian group discover justice however he has been accused by a U.S. sufferer advocacy group of not doing sufficient to assist different Peruvian victims.
Trump and US politics
Pope Leo mentioned he recognised the affect of the U.S. on world affairs and talked about migration as one of many subject vital to the Catholic Church.
He recalled a letter Pope Francis despatched to U.S. bishops earlier this yr rebuking the Trump administration’s plans for mass deportations of migrants. The letter took direct purpose at Vice President JD Vance’s defence of the deportation programme on theological grounds.
Pope Leo praised his successor Francis’ initiative and mentioned U.S. bishops confirmed “braveness” in confronting the administration, expressing hopes they’d proceed to take the lead on such points.
“One of the final conversations I had with the vp of the U.S.– I’ve not had direct conversations with or haven’t met the president – I talked about human dignity and the way vital that’s for all individuals, wherever you are born, and hopefully to search out methods to respect human beings and the best way we deal with them within the insurance policies and decisions we make,” Pope Leo mentioned.
The Pope made clear he isn’t a supporter of Mr. Trump, including that he and his brother Luis Prevost, a self-described “MAGA-type,” who has met the U.S. president are in “completely different locations.”
“The U.S. is an influence participant on the world stage, we’ve got to recognise that, and generally choices are made extra primarily based on economics than on human dignity and human help, however (we’ve got to) proceed to problem and to lift some questions and to see one of the best ways to do this,” Pope Leo mentioned.
Women’s voices
Pope Leo vowed to proceed appointing ladies to management positions within the church, however tamped down any hopes of ordaining ladies as deacons or as monks. He pointed to an ongoing research by the Vatican’s doctrine workplace on the problem.
“I in the meanwhile haven’t got an intention of adjusting the instructing of the church on the subject,” he mentioned. “I’m actually keen to proceed to take heed to individuals.”
Vatican funds
Pope Leo inherited a longstanding monetary crunch on the Vatican, which has been working a 50 million to 60 million euro ($57 million to $68 million) structural deficit, a one billion euro ($1.14 billion) pension fund shortfall and declining donations.
The disaster hit hardest in the course of the pandemic when the Holy See’s primary income — the Vatican Museums — closed down. But issues are enhancing and “it’s not the disaster that individuals have been led to consider,” Pope Leo mentioned.
“I’m not saying we are able to calm down,” he said. “I do not suppose the disaster is over, I believe we’ve got to proceed to work on this, however I’m not shedding sleep over it, and I believe that it is vital that we talk a distinct message.”
