Catholic pontiff, Pope Leo XIV, has affirmed traditional church doctrine regarding marriage.
Pope Leo said that marriage is founded on the “stable union between a man and a woman.”;;
He stated this on Friday during a private audience with the Vatican’s diplomatic corps, making his first major remarks as pontiff.
The meeting with the Vatican’s diplomatic corps is standard protocol following his election as the new Catholic pope.
This allows him to greet representatives of world governments ahead of his formal installation Mass on Sunday.
Pope Leo emphasized the inherent dignity of the frail and vulnerable, including the unborn, elderly and 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,”;; he added.
The Pope further reaffirmed the Catholic Church’s position against abortion, calling for protection of religious freedom.
He also stated that he would continue to pursue inter-religious dialogue.
Pope Leo maintained that no one is exempted from striving to ensure respect for the dignity of every person, including the vulnerable, and the unborn.
