Pope Leo Talks Trump, Sex Abuse Scandals, LGBTQ+, China In First Interview

In his inaugural interview as the first American pontiff in history, Pope Leo XIV addressed a spectrum of significant topics, emphasizing that while he intends to remain politically neutral in US affairs, he will vocalize the Catholic Church's stance on crucial issues like immigration.

The interview, published Thursday by Vatican correspondent Elise Ann Allen for Crux, was conducted for a biography of Leo released the same day in Peru, where he served as bishop for many years. The wide-ranging conversation covered his perspectives on the Trump administration, clergy sexual abuse scandals, LGBTQ+ inclusion, and Vatican-China relations.

Regarding LGBTQ+ Catholics, Leo affirmed Pope Francis's welcoming "todos, todos, todos" approach while expressing doubt about imminent changes to core church doctrine on sexuality. "I think we have to change attitudes before we even think about changing what the church says about any given question," he stated. The Catholic Church maintains that homosexual individuals deserve dignity and respect but views homosexual activity as "intrinsically disordered" and opposes same-sex marriage.

This statement comes amid contrasting developments within the church—the Vatican recently hosted LGBTQ+ Catholic groups for a Holy Year pilgrimage, while traditionalist factions have petitioned Leo to reaffirm conventional church teaching on sexuality.

On Vatican-China relations, Leo indicated no immediate plans to alter the controversial 2018 agreement regarding bishop appointments. "I in no way pretend to be wiser or more experienced than all those who have come before me," he remarked, noting that he is studying the issue and consulting Chinese representatives from both perspectives.

Addressing the clerical sexual abuse crisis, Leo acknowledged it as "a real crisis" that remains unresolved, particularly regarding victim healing. While recognizing that "well over 90% of people who come forward and make accusations are authentically victims," he also stressed the importance of protecting priests' rights against false accusations. Leo cautioned that this issue "cannot become the center focus of the church."

Although instrumental in securing justice for victims of an abusive Peruvian group, Leo has faced criticism from a US advocacy organization for allegedly insufficient support of other Peruvian victims.

Concerning US politics, Leo recognized America's global influence and identified migration as a key concern for the Catholic Church. He commended Pope Francis's letter to US bishops criticizing the Trump administration's mass deportation plans and praised the bishops' "courage" in confronting these policies.

Leo revealed having discussed human dignity with the US Vice President, noting that his political views differ from those of his brother Luis Prevost, a self-described "MAGA-type." "The United States is a power player on the world level...and sometimes decisions are made more based on economics than on human dignity," Leo observed.

On women's roles in the church, Leo committed to continuing appointments of women to leadership positions while tempering expectations about ordaining women as deacons or priests. "I at the moment don't have an intention of changing the teaching of the church on the topic," he said, while expressing willingness to maintain dialogue.

Regarding Vatican finances, Leo acknowledged inheriting significant challenges, including a structural deficit of 50-60 million euros, a pension fund shortfall of 1 billion euros, and declining donations. However, he presented an optimistic outlook: "It is not the crisis that people have been led to believe... I don't think the crisis is over, I think we have to continue to work on this, but I'm not losing sleep over it."