Papal interview touches on homosexuality, Gaza, TLM, China, and more

September 18, 2025

On September 18, the Crux news agency released five excerpts from the July interviews between senior correspondent Elise Ann Allen and Pope Leo XIV. The interviews provided the material for her book, Leo XIV: Citizen of the World, which was published in Spanish this week, with an English-language edition due early next year.

The interviews covered a number of controversial topics, including homosexuality, the war in Gaza, synodality, the Traditional Latin Mass, the Holy See’s ties with China, Vatican financial difficulties, and sexual abuse. However the Pontiff avoided creating new controversy with his answers.

• On homosexuality, the Pope said: “What I’m trying to say is what Francis said very clearly when he would say, “todos, todos, todos.” Everyone’s invited in, but I don’t invite a person in because they are or are not of any specific identity. I invite a person in because they are a son or daughter of God.” While stressing the need to respect all people, he saw it as “highly unlikely” that the Church would alter her teaching on sexuality and marriage.

• On Gaza, the Pope lamented that even after “very clear statements” from President Trump, there has been no progress to “alleviate the suffering of the people, the innocent people in Gaza.” He declined to address the question of whether the Israeli campaign could be considered genocide, but noted that “more and more people are raising the issue.”

• On synodality, the Pope answered a question about the meaning of the term by saying: “I think that synodality is an attitude, an openness, a willingness to understand, speaking of the Church now, that each and every member of the Church has a voice and a role to play.”

• On the Traditional Latin Mass, the Pope said, “I’m no sure where that’s going to go. It’s obviously very complicated.” He reported that he has not yet had the opportunity to meet with Catholics seeking wider access to the ancient liturgy, but hopes to do so in the near future.

• On ties with China, too, the Pope said that he has not yet settled on his approach, and is temporarily following the same policies as his predecessor, as he seeks a better understanding of the situation.

• On Curial reform and Vatican finances, the Pope said that reorganization of the Roman Curia by Pope Francis was properly aimed to underline the point that Vatican offices exist to serve the Roman Pontiff and the diocesan bishops. Regarding the Vatican’s financial shortfalls, he said: “I don’t think the crisis is over... but I’m not losing sleep over it.” Alarms have been exaggerated, he said. “I don’t know how I’m going to handle it yet, but I’m getting some clear ideas.”

• On sexual abuse, the Pope said: “First and foremost,” the Church must adopt “an authentic and deep sensitivity and compassion to the pain” of victims. He added, however: “The accused also have rights, and many believe these rights have not been respected.”

• On dealing with President Trump, the Pope said that his status as the first American Pontiff should not change Church policies. “I think it would be much more appropriate for the leadership of the Church within the United States to engage him, quite seriously.”

• On his own role, the Pope said: “I don’t see my primary role as trying to be the solver of the world’s problems. I don’t see my role as that at all, really, although I think that the Church has a voice, a message that needs to continue to be preached, to be spoken and spoken loudly.”

The excerpts are categorized as the second excerpts (relations with other churches), third excerpts (Curia and Vatican finances), fourth excerpts (Gaza, China, and the US), fifth excerpts (polarization in the world), and the sixth excerpts (LGBTQ+ issues and the liturgy). The first excerpts, released earlier, dealt with Ukraine, synodality, polarization, and the World Cup.

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