Pope discusses clergy abuse and Vatican policies

Leo says he will avoid politics but will speak up about key issues, including immigration.

- ASSOCIATED PRESS

IN HIS interview, Pope Leo, shown Thursday at the Vatican, embraced Pope Francis' message of inclusivity.

Pope Leo XIV said in his first interview as the first American pope that he has no intention of getting involved in U.S. politics but will raise his voice on issues of concern tothe Catholic Church, including on immigration.

Leo spoke on a range of topics — the Trump administration, the clergy sexual abuse crisis, welcoming LGBTQ+ Catholics, and Vatican-China relations — in the interview, published Thursday. It was conducted by Vatican correspondent Elise Ann Allen of the news site Crux for a biography of Leo that was published Thursday in Peru, where Leo was bishop for many years.

Here are some highlights:

LGBTQ+ Catholics

Leo embraced his predecessor Pope Francis’ message for LGBTQ+ Catholics that “todos, todos, todos” are welcome in the Catholic Church but said that he found “it highly unlikely” the church’s core doctrine about sexuality would change any time soon.

The Catholic Church teaches that homosexual people must be treated with dignity and respect, but that homosexual activity is “intrinsically disordered.” It opposes gay marriage, saying marriage is a union between aman anda woman.

“Everyone’s invited in, but I don't invite a person in because they are or are not of any specific identity. I invite a person in because they are a son or daughter of God,” he said.

“I think we have to change attitudes before we even think about changing what the church says about any given question,” he said.

Ties with China

Leo said he didn’t foresee any short-term changes in the Vatican's controversial 2018 agreement with Beijing over bishop nominations.