VATICAN CITY: Pope Leo will keep Pope Francis’ signature policies to welcome gay Catholics, discuss women’s ordination and give China input on bishop appointments, but is not planning big changes to Church teaching, he said in his first interview, released on Thursday (Sep 18).
Pope Leo, who became the first United States pope in May, also expressed concern about the political environment in the US and the humanitarian situation in Gaza. But showing characteristic reserve compared to his predecessor, Pope Leo shied away from directly criticising President Donald Trump or from saying that Israel has committed genocide.
The interview was conducted at the end of July for a biography being published by Penguin Peru. Initial excerpts were published last Sunday.
“I don’t plan to get involved in partisan politics,” said Pope Leo, who was raised in Chicago. “There are significant issues that can be raised, but it would be impossible for the pope to get involved in individual countries around the world.”
Pope Leo likewise repeated Pope Francis’ firm condemnation of the sexual abuse scandals that have afflicted the 1.4-billion-member Church across the world, but also expressed concern about false allegations against priests.
LEO HAS “GREAT CONCERN” OVER GAZA SITUATION
Pope Leo, 70, has shown a more reserved style than his predecessor, who often gave interviews, spoke frankly about world events and sharply criticised both Trump and Israel.
Pope Francis, who led the Church for 12 years, suggested in late 2024 that Israel might be committing genocide in Gaza, drawing a backlash from Israeli leaders.
In the interview, Pope Leo said he had “great concern” for the situation in Gaza. “The word genocide is being thrown around more and more,” he said. “The Holy See does not believe that we can make any declaration at this time about that.”
