Pope Leo declares shift in Church priorities from sexual ethics to issues of justice

Pope Leo stated that the Catholic Church should pay more attention to issues of justice and inequality, rather than focusing primarily on sexual ethics. He said this during a conversation with journalists, Reuters reports, according to UNN.

Details

The statement came after his tour of African countries and amidst discussions regarding the church's stance on same-sex marriage.

The Pontiff emphasized that the church's internal discussions should not focus exclusively on themes of sexuality.

"The unity or division of the Church should not revolve around sexual issues. I believe there are much more important and significant issues, such as justice, equality... which should take priority over this specific issue,"

Expert Reaction

Representatives of Catholic organizations and researchers called such statements an important signal.

According to Marianne Duddy-Burke, Executive Director of DignityUSA, this is a "very significant and overdue refocusing of priorities."

James Keenan, a priest and scholar at Boston College, noted that the Pope is effectively acknowledging the existence of a "hierarchy of issues" in church policy.

Context

The Catholic Church has traditionally devoted significant attention to issues of sexual morality, including abortion, contraception, and same-sex marriage.

At the same time, Leo reaffirmed support for the decision of his predecessor, Pope Francis, regarding the possibility of informal blessings for same-sex couples, but spoke out against further formalization of this process.

"Speaking about this today, in my opinion, this topic could cause more discord than unity,"

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