Pope Leo has indicated a notable shift in emphasis for the Catholic Church, saying that questions of sexual ethics should not take priority over broader issues such as inequality and justice.
The remarks, made during a press conference on the return flight from his Africa tour, suggest a reordering of priorities for the 1.4 billion-member Church and have been described by experts as a potentially significant reorientation.
“The unity or division of the Church should not revolve around sexual matters,” said Leo, the first U.S. pope. He added that there are “much greater and more important issues such as justice, equality” that should come first.
Leo’s comments were made in response to questions about the Church’s approach to same-sex relationships and blessings for same-sex couples. He said he supported a 2023 decision by the late Pope Francis allowing informal blessings on a case-by-case basis but indicated he did not want the practice expanded or formalised further.
“To go beyond that today, I think that the topic can cause more disunity than unity,” the pope said.
The remarks have been welcomed by some LGBTQ Catholic groups. Marianne Duddy-Burke, executive director of Dignity USA, called the comments “a very significant and overdue reorientation of priorities.”
Under long-standing Church teaching, sexual relationships outside heterosexual marriage are considered sinful, and Catholics with same-sex attraction are called to remain chaste. However, debate within the Church has continued over how those teachings are applied pastorally.
Experts said Leo’s framing marks a shift in emphasis rather than doctrine. Rev. James Keenan of Boston College said the pope was establishing “a hierarchy of concerns” in which issues such as war and authoritarianism take precedence over sexual ethics.
“This is clearly a prudential judgment by the pontiff,” Keenan said, adding that questions around blessings for same-sex couples should not overshadow “more immediate challenges of dictatorships and war.”
Leo’s comments also drew comparisons to earlier moments in recent Church history. In 2013, Pope Francis famously said “who am I to judge?” when asked about gay priests, a remark widely seen as a turning point in tone toward LGBTQ Catholics.
Vatican expert David Gibson said Leo’s intervention could come to be seen in a similar light. “This seems like Leo’s ‘Who am I to judge?’ moment,” he said, noting the pope’s emphasis on peace and justice alongside moral teaching.
Francis DeBernardo of New Ways Ministry, which advocates for LGBTQ Catholics, also welcomed the remarks, saying Leo elevated “social matters — justice, equality, freedom — as being of greater moral concern.”
