Pope Leo XIV has reiterated traditional Catholic teachings on marriage, emphasizing its foundation on the “stable union between a man and a woman.”

The pope, elected to head the Catholic Church on May 8, delivered his inaugural significant address as pontiff during a private meeting with the Vatican’s diplomatic team on Friday, underlining the essential dignity of the vulnerable, ranging from the unborn and elderly to immigrants.

“It is the responsibility of government leaders to work to build harmonious and peaceful civil societies,” the pope said. “This can be achieved above all by investing in the family, founded upon the stable union between a man and a woman.”

While Pope Francis also said the Church could not accept same-sex marriage, conservatives accused the late pontiff of sowing confusion among the faithful by being more welcoming than his predecessors to LGBTQ people and approving the blessing of individuals in same-sex relationships.

Pope Leo XIV speaking with members of the Diplomatic Corps on a number of topics including family (Vatican Media)

“My own story is that of a citizen, the descendant of immigrants, who in turn chose to emigrate,” Pope Leo told ambassadors at the Vatican.

“All of us, in the course of our lives, can find ourselves healthy or sick, employed or unemployed, living in our native land or in a foreign country, yet our dignity always remains unchanged. It is the dignity of a creature willed and loved by God,” he added.

Pope Leo’s father was of French and Italian descent, while his mother was of Spanish descent.

Pope Leo XIV appears at the balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica at the Vatican, on May 8, 2025.  (Andrew Medichini/AP)

Pope Leo called on attendees to keep in mind three essential words – “peace,” “justice” and “truth” – and said that they represent the pillars of the church’s missionary activity and the aim of the Holy See’s diplomacy. 

Truth, for instance, he said, “does not create division, but rather enables us to confront all the more resolutely the challenges of our time, such as migration, the ethical use of artificial intelligence and the protection of our beloved planet Earth.”

“These are challenges that require commitment and cooperation on the part of all, since no one can think of facing them alone.

Reuters and The Associated Press contributed to this report. 

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