In an interview granted to the Rome correspondent of Crux, Elise Ann Allen —published in the book León XIV: Citizen of the World, Missionary of the 21st Century— the Holy Father ruled out the possibility of women being ordained as deaconesses. The Pope clarified that, at least “in the near future,” the Church’s teaching on this point will remain unchanged.
Marriage and Blessings in Debate
The Pontiff also reaffirmed the doctrine on family and marriage, emphasizing that “the family is father, mother, and children.” He expressed concern over initiatives in some Northern European countries to introduce rituals for blessing unions between people of the same sex, noting that this practice contradicts what is established in the document Fiducia Supplicans.
At the same time, he specified that people with same-sex attraction must always be “accepted and welcomed,” although he emphasized that the Church’s doctrinal teaching on sexuality and marriage “will continue as it is.”
Polarization and the Need for Dialogue in the Church
The Pope pointed out that, rather than doctrinal changes, what needs to be transformed is the attitude toward those who think differently. He acknowledged that within the Church itself there is a risk of polarization and called for living debates in a climate of listening and communion.
In particular, he referred to the liturgical tensions surrounding the Tridentine Mass and the Vatican II Mass, warning against the danger of turning the liturgy into a political or ideological weapon.
Context of the Interview
The interview is part of a biographical volume where Pope Leo XIV reflects on the Church’s mission in the contemporary world. His statements are framed within recent debates on the role of women in the Church, pastoral care toward people with homosexual attraction, and liturgical unity.