In his first address to the Vatican diplomatic corps on Friday, Pope Leo XIV reaffirmed core Catholic teachings on marriage and the sanctity of life, declaring that “the family is founded on the stable union between a man and a woman.”
The newly elected pontiff, the first American to hold the office, also emphasized the dignity of the unborn and the elderly, stating they are “God’s creatures” deserving of protection and care.
Pope Leo used the occasion to advocate for peace, describing it not merely as the absence of conflict but a “gift” requiring deliberate effort. “For words too, not only weapons, can wound and even kill,” he said.
He urged governments to invest in families and uphold the dignity of all individuals, including the “unborn to the elderly, from the sick to the unemployed, citizens and immigrants alike.”
The private audience marked a formal protocol step following the conclave, ahead of his official installation Mass scheduled for Sunday.