Pope Leo XIV said the family is based on the stable union between a man and a woman, and stressed that both unborn children and the elderly have dignity as God's creatures. With these words, he expressed the Catholic Church's position on marriage and abortion, the Associated Press reported, reports BTA.
During his first meeting with the Vatican diplomatic corps, the first American to be elected pope called for a revival of multilateral diplomacy and the promotion of interfaith dialogue in the search for global peace.
The meeting is part of the protocol duties following the election of a new pontiff and allows the new pope to greet representatives of world governments before the official inauguration mass scheduled for this Sunday.
Pope Leo XIV also stressed the need to preserve the dignity of migrants, Reuters reported. He called on countries to stop producing weapons and make peace a top priority. Describing himself as a descendant of immigrants, the pontiff appealed for compassion and solidarity with displaced people around the world.