Pope Leo confirms stance on gay marriage and abortion
In the Friday address, he affirmed the church's definition of family as being founded on the 'stable union between a man and a woman'.
He also said both unborn children and the elderly had inherent dignity as creations of God.
The pronouncements offer a clear articulation of core Catholic teachings on marriage and abortion.
The new Pope also addressed the importance of international relations and hailed interfaith dialogue as a crucial tool in the pursuit of world peace.
This meeting with the diplomatic corps is a standard protocol following a papal conclave.
It allows a newly elected pontiff to formally greet representatives from nearly 200 countries with which the Holy See maintains diplomatic ties.
The Holy See's status as a sovereign state, recognised under international law, also grants it observer status at the United Nations.
The meeting preceded Pope Leo's official installation Mass which is scheduled for Sunday, May 18.
Leo, a member of the Augustinian religious order, has emphasised peace as a priority of his pontificate, from the first words he uttered on the loggia of St. Peter's Basilica, 'Peace be with you all'.
Pope's stance on women in the Church
Before becoming Pope Leo XIV, Cardinal Robert Prevost presided over one of the most revolutionary reforms of Pope Francis ' pontificate by having women serve on the Vatican board that vets nominations for bishops.
But he also has said that women cannot be ordained as priests.
Despite having worked for years in Peru, where women often lead church communities, he also seems noncommittal on whether women could ever serve in any ministerial capacity.
Nevertheless, women who have worked closely with him in recent years have praised his leadership style, ability to listen and respect for their opinions.
Maria Lia Zervino was among the three women Francis appointed to the Dicastery for Bishops in 2022 to review possible appointments.
Ms Zervino rejoiced when Leo was elected pope, saying the respect he showed for her and other women on the board and their opinions gave them faith in him as a leader.
'I'm convinced that he doesn't need to learn how to work (with women), how to let them speak, to listen to them, to have them participate in decisions, because that's what he does anyway,' said Ms Zervino.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Guardian
3 hours ago
- The Guardian
Trump officials look to block abortion services at veterans affairs hospitals
The Trump administration is seeking to block veterans from receiving abortions at hospitals run by the Department of Veterans Affairs in cases of rape or incest, or when a veteran's pregnancy has imperiled their health, according to new paperwork filed by the administration. The administration is seeking to roll back a Biden-era policy that, for the first time, permitted the VA to counsel veterans and their eligible family members about abortion, as well as offer the procedure to veterans in limited circumstances, even in states that banned abortion after the US supreme court overturned Roe v Wade in 2022. At the time,veterans affairs secretary Denis McDonough called the move a 'patient safety decision'. More than a dozen states ban virtually all abortions. As of 2024, more than half of female veterans live in states that ban abortion or are likely to, according to the National Partnership for Women & Families. However, in a Friday filing in the federal register, the Trump administration said that the Biden-era policy was 'legally questionable' and out of step with congressional actions that limited the VA's ability to provide abortions. Anti-abortion activists have spent years advocating against federal funding for abortion access of any kind. Due to their efforts, it is already illegal to use federal dollars to pay for abortions except in cases of rape, incest or medical emergency. In its filing, the administration said that, despite the rollback, veterans who are undergoing miscarriages or ectopic pregnancies – which are nonviable pregnancies in which an embryo implants outside of the uterus – would still be able to receive care. Veterans would also be able to get abortions 'when a physician certifies that the life of the mother would be endangered if the fetus were carried to term'. (The Department of Veterans Affairs did not respond to a request for comment at the time of publication.) However, the administration's assurances may face practical hurdles in states that outlaw abortion. Since Roe fell, dozens of women have said that they were denied medically necessary abortions, despite the fact that abortion bans typically permit abortions in situations where a person's health or life is under threat. Doctors have also said that, because abortion bans are worded so ambiguously, they are often unsure if or when they can step in to end dangerous pregnancies. Instead, doctors have been forced to delay care until patients get sick enough that they can legally intervene. 'Those who fight for all our freedom must have the most basic freedom to control their own bodies and futures – and this rule robs them of it,' Alexis McGill Johnson, the president and CEO of Planned Parenthood Federation of America, said in a statement on Monday. 'Taking away access to heath care shows us that the Trump administration will always put politics and retribution over people's lives.' The rollback of the Biden-era policy has not yet been finalized. The public has until early September to comment on the Trump administration's proposal.
Reuters
6 hours ago
- Reuters
Italian judges dismiss case against Meloni over release of Libyan suspect
ROME, Aug 4 (Reuters) - An Italian judicial body has dropped a case against Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, who had been placed under investigation following the release of a Libyan police officer wanted by the International Criminal Court, she said on Monday. Osama Elmasry Njeem was freed in January and flown home in an Italian state aircraft just days after being detained in the northern city of Turin under an ICC arrest warrant for alleged crimes against humanity, including murder, torture and rape. "The judges dismissed the case only against me," Meloni said in a post on social media X. She was under investigation for allegedly aiding and abetting a crime and misuse of public funds. Meloni added that based on the document she received, magistrates will pursue the case against Interior Minister Matteo Piantedosi, Justice Minister Carlo Nordio and Cabinet Undersecretary Alfredo Mantovano, who had been placed under investigation with her. "I maintain that this government acts cohesively under my leadership: every decision, especially one so important, is agreed upon. It is therefore absurd to request that Piantedosi, Nordio and Mantovano stand trial, but not myself, before them," Meloni wrote on X. The ICC has been investigating allegations of serious crimes committed in Libya since the country's 2011 civil war following a referral by the U.N. Security Council. Justice Minister Nordio told parliament in February that Italy had no choice but to free Elmasry due to mistakes and inaccuracies in the arrest warrant.
The Independent
10 hours ago
- The Independent
Trump administration planning to roll back abortion access for veterans
Donald Trump's administration has plans to impose one of the most severe anti-abortion policies nationwide, critics fear. The proposal would eliminate access to abortion care and counseling for U.S. military veterans through the federal government's health system, even in instances of rape, incest or to protect the health of the patient — coverage that has been available to veterans and their beneficiaries for nearly three years. The rule change would apply to all veterans receiving care through the Department of Veterans Affairs, even those living in more than a dozen states where abortion care is legally protected and a constitutional right. A statement accompanying the proposal says the rule change is designed to ensure the VA 'provides only needed medical services to our nation's heroes and their families.' Three months after the Supreme Court revoked a constitutional right to abortion care in 2022 by overturning the landmark ruling in Roe v Wade, then-President Joe Biden allowed the VA to provide abortion services for veterans and beneficiaries on federal property, even in states where abortion was outlawed. Advocates hailed the move as a lifeline for coverage. The rule also allowed VA physicians to discuss abortion options or referrals with patients for the first time. However, VA officials under the Trump administration now argue that the Biden-era rule was politically motivated and 'contradicted decades of federal policy against forced taxpayer funding for abortion.' The administration claims that the rule change will not prevent physicians from providing life-saving abortion care in cases of ectopic pregnancies or miscarriages, since other provisions within the law already mandate those protections. But the proposal also states that 'claims in the prior administration's rule that abortions throughout pregnancy are needed to save the lives of pregnant women' are 'incorrect.' The Trump administration also claims there isn't any demand for abortion care. Roughly 100 veterans and 40 beneficiaries received abortion care through VA medical centers since the policy change, according to government data. But the top Democrat on the Senate Veterans' Affairs Committee noted that 500,000 women veterans of reproductive age are enrolled in VA health care, with more than half of them living in states with abortion restrictions. 'We cannot let VA stop providing this care to veterans by ripping away this narrow, targeted protection,' Sen. Richard Blumenthal said in a statement. There are at least 2 million women veterans in the United States, the fastest-growing group of veterans, according to the VA. As of 2024, more than half of women veterans of reproductive age lived in states that banned abortion or faced severe restrictions, according to the National Partnership for Women and Families. Last year, enrollment of women veterans in VA health care increased in every state, including significant increases in Texas, Florida, Georgia and North Carolina — states where abortion is effectively outlawed. The new Trump administration proposal must first go through a public comment period before becoming policy. That period is open until September 5. Abortion rights advocates and Democratic lawmakers blasted the move as an attack on abortion access for veterans and their families. "After veterans put their lives on the line to protect our freedoms, the Trump administration is trying to rob them of their own freedoms and putting their health at risk,' according to Nancy Northup, president of the Center for Reproductive Rights, which has led several high-profile legal battles defending access to abortion care. 'This administration is sending a clear message to veterans — that their health and dignity aren't worth defending,' she added. 'To devalue veterans in this way and take away life-changing health care would be unconscionable. This shows you just how extreme this administration's anti-abortion stance is — they would rather a veteran suffer severely than receive an abortion.' Skye Perryman, president of legal advocacy group Democracy Forward and a former general counsel for the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, called the rule change a 'smack in the face to those who have served our country and their loved ones, stripping pregnant women of their bodily autonomy and restricting their access to abortion.' Washington Sen. Patty Murray, a member of the Senate Veterans' Affairs Committee, said that 'Republicans don't care if your health is in danger, if you're a veteran, or if you've been raped — they want abortion outlawed everywhere, in every circumstance, for everyone.' 'This administration has shown nothing but callous disregard for veterans' lives, their health care, and their livelihoods — especially when those veterans happen to be women,' she added. Republican lawmakers accused the Biden administration of overreach and defended the Trump administration's move to 'stand up for the sanctity of life.' 'Taxpayers do not want their hard-earned money spent on paying for abortions and VA's sole focus should always be providing service-connected health care and benefits to the veterans they serve,' according to a statement from a group of House Republicans led by House Veterans' Affairs Committee chair Mike Bost.
