Pope Leo initially focused on Maga donations as sources of funding during his early days as pontiff, according to Mary McAleese's claims.
Pope Leo XIV: A Focus on Unity and Compassion
As of 2025, Pope Leo XIV, the first American pope, continues to guide the Catholic Church with a heart-centered approach inspired by St. Augustine. Known for his emphasis on peace, forgiveness, ecumenism, and reconciliation, Leo XIV has called Christians to unity and love as the keys to human flourishing.
However, when it comes to specific social issues such as same-sex marriage, women's roles in the Church, and LGBTIQ+ matters, Pope Leo XIV has not publicly articulated detailed or new positions. His focus appears more on unity, compassion, and dialogue, rather than issuing concrete new teachings on cultural issues.
While there is no evidence yet that Leo XIV has publicly diverged from established Church doctrine or policy on these topics, his views on LGBTIQ+ issues are considered conservative. For instance, he appointed Rev. Thomas Hennen, a supporter of Courage International, as Bishop of Baker, Oregon. Courage International advocates celibacy and caters to the spiritual needs of LGBTIQ+ Catholics while upholding the Church’s teaching that regards homosexuality as intrinsically disordered and homosexual acts as evil.
In his first statements as pope, Leo XIV affirmed Catholic teaching on marriage as being between a man and a woman. He resides at the Vatican's Apostolic Palace and has already visited the papal summer residence at Castel Gandolfo twice, unlike his predecessor, Pope Francis.
Financial matters have also been a concern for the Vatican. In 2024, the Vatican's finances faced an €83 million shortfall, and the pension fund shortfall was estimated at €631 million. Pope Leo XIV has attempted to court financial support from the US to help revitalise the Catholic Church.
Former president Mary McAleese has criticised aspects of Pope Leo XIV's brief period in office, taking issue with his stance on same-sex marriage and his attitude towards women. In an article for the UK Catholic Tablet magazine to mark the pope's first 100 days, McAleese described Leo XIV as "as bog-standard patriarchal, patronizing, and prone to tokenism." She also noted that the early self-effacing elements of Francis' papacy, which were favourably commented upon for their perceived modesty, are largely absent from Leo's papacy.
Despite these criticisms, Pope Leo XIV has made uncompromising comments that could have been made by previous conservative popes. He served on the Roman Curia as prefect at the Dicastery for Bishops for a little over a year, since January 2023. Overall, Leo XIV's papacy continues to evolve, and it remains to be seen how he will address these social issues in the future.
- The business of revitalizing the Catholic Church, as guided by Pope Leo XIV, has led him to courting financial support from the US.
- In the realm of general-news and politics, Pope Leo XIV's stance on social issues such as same-sex marriage and women's roles in the Church has drawn criticism, highlighting a possible clash between traditional views and modern sensibilities.
