wAfter a short two-day deliberation, sea smoke appeared at Sistine Chapel on Thursday afternoon, as onlookers watched Robert Prevost, the first American pope in history, traveling through the balcony of St. Peter's Basilica in white cassava.

More than 100 cardinals gathered to elect the Pope Leo XIV, the new leader of the Catholic Church, ushered in an era of different directions than those under Pope Francis in the era of change in religious institutions.

There are many well-known Pope Leo who is regarded as a centrist. Illinois natives possess dual citizenship from the United States and Peru and speak Italian and Spanish in his first speech to the public, during which he emphasized peace.

Read more: The biggest challenge for the face of Pope Lion XIV

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His election was partly from Pope Francis, who was considered to be a progressive man. Francis is remembered for his humble and inclusive behavior, such as washing the feet of immigrant refugees (including Muslims, Hindus and others), and expresses support for the greater role of women in the church. His position on LGBTQ+ Catholics is probably best remembered: "If a person is gay, seeking God and having good intentions, who should I judge?" Francis said in a stunning 2013 statement. Francis is also a major voice in his call for global peace, with his last message at Easter Mass calling for a ceasefire in Gaza.

Pope Leo There are about 1.4 billion days of Catholics worldwide (many of them from the global south) service, with a period of decline in the Catholic Church and huge political conflicts.

Here is our understanding of the new pope’s position on these issues:

this LGBTQ+ Catholic Community

The Catholic Church firmly stated that Homer is a sin and that same-sex couples cannot get married in the church.

But in October 2023, Francis’ letter supported the blessings of the same-sex union and made public on a case-by-case basis. Francis wrote to a conservative group of cardinals. "The priest's prudence therefore must fully discern the form of blessings requested by one or several people and will not convey the wrong concept of marriage. Because when one seeks blessings, one is seeking God's help."

Read more: Pope Francis’ complex but undeniable impact on the LGBTQ community

According to a Cardinal Academy report, Leo’s position on LGBTQ+ Catholics marks the late Pontive. In October 2024, Prevost expressed the need for a greater dialogue between each “bishop’s meeting” to discuss blessings and apply them in a way that is consistent with global cultural differences, as some countries still criminalize comrades.

"The bishops at the African Bishops' Conference basically say that in Africa, our entire cultural reality is very different... This does not reject the teaching authority in Rome, it says that our cultural status is so that the application of this document does not work," Prevost reportedly said. “You have to remember that there are still places in Africa who commit death penalty, for example, for people living in gay relationships…so, we are in a very different world.”

In a report evaluating his opinion on queer couples, New York era He cites the 2012 Leo statement, expressing his frustration with the media and popular culture approach, “sympathize with faith and practice that contradicts the gospel.”

Francis has publicly criticized the law that criminalizes LGBTQ+ people, calling them "injustice" and is often seen as supporters of greater inclusion in the church.

Help immigrants

Pope Leo's position on immigration is consistent with Francis's position. Jesus Leon Angeles, coordinator of Peruvian Catholic Group, met Prevost in person Reuters The new pope always showed care to the Venezuelan immigrants in Peru. More than 1.5 million Venezuelan immigrants live in South American countries due to economic instability.

Francis, a staunch supporter of immigration, expressed his support for the community in a letter to the American Bishop in February. The letter comes after Donald Trump’s second term began, marked by a call for mass deportation, an attempt to end reproductive right citizenship, an undocumented immigration registry, and other anti-immigration policies and rhetoric. "Your work in defending immigration is deeply rooted in the mission of Christ and the history of the church," Francis wrote. "The legal regulation of immigration must never undermine the basic dignity of man."

equality female

Pope Leo has been firmly opposed to women's orders, consistent with Pope Francis' view.

"It also needs to be said that some women have raised this point, and some women have said it - ``The instrument' doesn't necessarily solve the problem, which could create a new problem," he said during his October 2023 period at the main church.

However, he did point out that the appointment of women under Francis to higher leadership positions proves that women “have played a big role in the life of the church.”

Pope Francis also expressed that throughout the 12-year Pope, there was more support for women in leadership, giving them the right to vote during the meeting and appointing women in senior positions, while noting that they could not become pastors.

Despite this, Francis took sharp actions to express his support. In 2024, he washed the feet of Roman prisoners from a female prison, the first time the pope washed only women's feet.