Where does Pope Leo stand on LGBTQ+ rights?

LONDON - The world was watching as Pope Leo XIV delivered his first mass on Sunday, days after becoming the first American elected pope.

Robert Francis Prevost has used his initial days as leader of the Catholic world to call for peace in Ukraine, a ceasefire in Gaza and the release of imprisoned journalists.

LGBTQ+ rights groups are now waiting to see if he will follow in the footsteps of the late Pope Francis, who met with trans women, urged the Catholic Church to seek forgiveness from gay people and allowed priests to bless same-sex couples.

Leo has not discussed LGBTQ+ issues since his election, but previous comments he made about homosexuality have "disappointed" members of the LGBTQ+ faithful.

Here's everything you need to know.

What is Francis' legacy on trans rights?

Francis, who died on April 21, was seen as more accepting of LGBTQ+ rights than previous popes, including his predecessor Benedict, who viewed gay marriage as a threat to the "future of humanity."

Soon after his election in 2013, Francis said gay people should not be discriminated against and that being gay was not a sin, but reaffirmed Catholic teaching that says same-sex acts are sinful.

In 2016, Francis said the Church should seek forgiveness from gay people for the way it had treated them, but later that year said "gender theory" was part of a "global war" on marriage.

Over the years, he said homosexual couples should be protected by civil union laws, advised parents to support gay children and described laws criminalising LGBTQ+ people as a sin and injustice.

Francis also met trans women, said trans people could be godparents at Catholic baptisms and approved blessings for same-sex couples.

Where does Pope Leo stand on LGBTQ+ rights?

As bishop in Chiclayo, Peru, Leo reportedly opposed a government plan to teach about gender in schools, telling local media at the time: "The promotion of gender ideology is confusing, because it seeks to create genders that don't exist."

In 2012, Leo said a "homosexual lifestyle" was at "odds with the gospel" during a video address to other bishops.

He criticised how same-sex couples and their adopted children are "so benignly and sympathetically portrayed in television programmes and cinema," calling it a "distortion of religious and ethical reality."

Asked if he still held those views after becoming a Cardinal in 2023, he said, "Many things have changed.

"Doctrine hasn't changed yet ... but we are looking to be more welcoming and more open and to say all people are welcome in the church," he said.

During the 2023 national bishops' conference, Leo neither endorsed nor rejected the Vatican's document allowing blessings for same-sex couples, but highlighted cultural challenges in parts of Africa.

What have LGBTQ+ Catholic groups said?

LGBTQ+ Catholic groups appear to be optimistic that Leo will continue Francis' work with the community.

"We hope our new Pope will continue to learn from the stories of LGBTIQ people, celebrate our gifts and recognise that certain teachings and practices have caused harm to members of the Body of Christ and must be re-examined," said Marianne Duddy-Burke, co-chair of the Global Network of Rainbow Catholics.

New Ways Ministry, a U.S. group advocating for LGBTQ+ people, called Leo's past comments "disappointing," but said it is taking a "wait-and-see attitude.

"Although the path may not be easy, we hope and pray that he listens and is open to all - including LGBTQ+ people - so that divisions and pain will be healed," executive director Francis DeBernardo said in a statement.

London-based LGBT+ Catholics Westminster said it hoped Leo had "moved on.

"He has expressed openness to marginalised groups, though his stance on specific issues remains ambiguous, including the concerns of LGBT+ Catholics," the group said in a statement.

This story was updated on May 13 after the election of Pope Leo XIV.

(Reporting by Lucy Middleton; Editing by Jonathan Hemming)