What Pope Leo XIV Has Said About Abortion, Gun Control

The newly named Pope Leo XIV has previously condemned abortion and called for gun control.

Why It Matters

Cardinal Robert Prevost, who was elected on Thursday, is the first pope from the United States, and his papacy begins at a time of political tensions in the country. He now leads more than 1 billion Catholics worldwide, including about 53 million Catholics in the U.S.

What He Has Said About Abortion

Leo XIV has repeatedly criticized abortion in his homilies, often tying the issue of abortion to euthanasia.

In a recent address, he said, “God’s mercy calls us to protect every life, especially those society overlooks—the child yet to be born and the elderly nearing their journey’s end—because each bears Christ’s face.”

In a 2019 homily, he said, “We cannot build a just society if we discard the weakest—whether the child in the womb or the elderly in their frailty—for they are both gifts from God.”

In 2023, he said, “The Church must walk with all people, especially the most vulnerable, ensuring their dignity is upheld from the womb to the end of life, as this is the heart of Christ’s mission.”

He also expressed his stance on abortion during a 2012 address to the Synod of Bishops. “Western mass media is extraordinarily effective in fostering within the general public enormous sympathy for beliefs and practices that are at odds with the Gospel—for example abortion, homosexual lifestyle, euthanasia,” he said, according to The Guardian.

In the aftermath of the 2016 presidential election, he reposted an article from the Catholic News Agency on X, formerly Twitter, with the headline “Clinton ignored pro-lifers at her own peril, Democrats say.”

He has also reposted other articles from the Catholic News Agency about abortion, including one from January 2017 about then-Vice President Mike Pence‘s views. The headline said, “Pence to pro-lifers: Win hearts with compassion and love.”

What He Has Said About Gun Control

In the wake of the 2017 mass shooting in Las Vegas, the new pope reposted a statement from Cardinal Blase Cupich that called for “increased access to mental health care and stronger, sensible gun control laws.”

That day, he also reposted a statement from Senator Chris Murphy, a Democrat from Connecticut who wrote on X: “To my colleagues: Your cowardice to act cannot be whitewashed by thoughts and prayers. None of this ends unless we do something to stop it.”

What People Are Saying

President Donald Trump wrote on Truth Social: “Congratulations to Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost, who was just named Pope. It is such an honor to realize that he is the first American Pope. What excitement, and what a Great Honor for our Country. I look forward to meeting Pope Leo XIV. It will be a very meaningful moment!”

Anti-abortion activist Lila Rose wrote on X: “We have a new pope! And for the first time in history—he’s American. … He’s boldly spoken on behalf of the most vulnerable—including the unborn—he’s not afraid to speak truth in love.”

Students for Life of America wrote on X: “Pope Leo XIV—Cardinal Prevost has consistently opposed abortion, calling it ‘a form of murder’ and affirming the Church’s teaching that Life begins at conception. May God bless our new Pope.”

Chris Wimbush, the interim president of Catholics for Choice, an abortion-rights advocacy group, said in a statement: “Catholics for Choice represents people who are understandably concerned by the church’s regressive views on gender and sexuality. Women, people who have had abortions or used contraception, and LGBTQIA+ people are underrepresented where church decisions are made—including in the conclave. We know Pope Leo disagrees with nine in 10 U.S. Catholics on abortion. Catholics for Choice’s work is more important than ever. That’s why we collected stories from the faithful Pope Leo now serves, who disagree with church teaching. We will be sending them to Pope Leo in the hope he will open his heart to listen. The future of our church depends on greater inclusion and nuance on reproductive health decisions like abortion, contraception, and IVF.”

What Happens Next

Leo XIV’s authority began immediately upon his selection as the new pope.

Like his predecessor, he will have the ability to reshape the church‘s approach to a range of social and political issues.