The pope and gay

What’s the context?

Some LGBTQ+ Catholics are "disappointed" by the new pontiff's past comments on homosexuality

LONDON - The world was watching as Pope Leo XIV delivered his first mass on Sunday, days after becoming the first American elected pope.

Robert Francis Prevost has used his initial days as leader of the Catholic world to call for peace in Ukraine, a ceasefire in Gaza and the release of imprisoned journalists.

LGBTQ+ rights groups are now waiting to see if he will follow in the footsteps of the late Pope Francis, who met with trans women, urged the Catholic Church to seek forgiveness from gay people and allowed priests to bless same-sex couples.

Leo has not discussed LGBTQ+ issues since his election, but previous comments he made about homosexuality have "disappointed" members of the LGBTQ+ faithful.

Here's everything you need to know.

What is Francis' legacy on trans rights?

Francis, who died on April 21, was seen as more accepting of LGBTQ+ rights than previous popes, including his predecessor Benedict, who viewed gay marriage as a threat to t

The Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith on Monday published Fiducia supplicans, a declaration which creates a framework for blessing same-sex couples.

While the text insists those blessings are not to be liturgical events, or resemble marriage, headlines around the world have framed the text as the beginning of a unused era, and some Catholics own expressed concern that the text might prompt a schism.

But rare Catholics have actually read the text yet, and many possess questions about what it actually says.

You’ve got questions, The Pillar has answers.

Fiducia supplicans says clearly that that the Vatican does not intend to permit same-sex marriage, or anything that resembles it — and says that the Church does not actually have the power or noun to do that.

While the text does create a framework for blessing gay couples, it says that those blessings should not be confused with marriage, or even with approval of same-sex unions, or homosexual activity.

In truth, the text says that “rites and prayers that could build confusion between what constitut

Pope Francis allows blessings for same-sex couples under certain conditions

The Vatican has approved a landmark ruling to allow Roman Catholic priests to administer blessings to same-sex couples as long as they are not part of regular Church rituals or liturgies, nor given in contexts related to civil unions or weddings.

A document from the Vatican’s doctrinal office approved by Pope Francis on Monday said such blessings would not legitimise irregular situations but be a sign that God welcomes all.

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The document backed “the possibility of blessings for couples in irregular situations and for couples of the same sex” but “this blessing should never be imparted in concurrence with the ceremonies of a civil union, and not ev

Unearthed comments from new pope alarm LGBTQ+ Catholics

After years of empathetic and inclusive comments from Pope Francis, LGBTQ+ Catholics expressed concern on Thursday about hostile remarks made more than a decade ago by Father Robert Prevost, the new Pope Leo XIV, in which he condemned what he called the “homosexual lifestyle” and “the redefinition of marriage” as “at odds with the Gospel”.

In a address to the world synod of bishops, the man who now leads the church said that “Western mass media is extraordinarily effective in fostering within the general universal enormous sympathy for beliefs and practices that are at odds with the Gospel – for example abortion, homosexual lifestyle, euthanasia”.

In the remarks, of which he also read portions for a video produced by the Catholic News Service, a news agency owned by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, the cleric blamed mass media for fostering so much “sympathy for anti-Christian lifestyles choices” that “when people hear the Christian message it often inevitably seems ideological and emotionally cruel”.

“Ca