Aboard the Papal Plane From Africa: Pope Condemns Killings in Iran, Speaks on Migration, Same-Sex Blessings

Pope Rebukes German Church Over Same-Sex Blessings

Pope Leo XIV has publicly rebuked the expansion of same-sex blessings in Germany, warning that efforts to formalise such practices risk deepening divisions within the global Catholic Church. Speaking to journalists aboard the papal flight from Malabo to Rome on Thursday, the pontiff addressed the controversial decision by Cardinal Reinhard Marx to introduce structured blessings for homosexual couples in the Archdiocese of Munich and Freising. “T…

Pope Leo Hits Home Runs in Africa – The American Spectator | USA News and Politics

There’s no place like home, and Leo XIV must be happy to have returned safe and sound after a long African journey. The fond memories he brings back to his modest residence — several high-ceilinged rooms in the Papal Palace, a jewel of preservationist interior decorating in Vatican City (an independent state in the middle of Rome) — will stay with him; more important, in his estimation, is knowing the joy and strengthened faith he brought to the…

Aboard the Papal Plane From Africa: Pope Condemns Killings in Iran, Speaks on Migration, Same-Sex Blessings

by Josephine Peterson  ABOARD THE PAPAL FLIGHT FROM MALABO TO ROME (CNS) — Pope Leo XIV, who has repeatedly called for peace and dialogue in the Middle East, went a step further on April 23, condemning the unjust taking of life by governments as violence continues in Iran.  Speaking to reporters aboard the papal flight back to Rome after an 11-day trip to Africa, the pope said, “As a shepherd I cannot be in favor of war,” while addressing the es…

Pope Leo: Holy See does not approve formalized blessings of same-sex unions, but 'all are welcome' in Church - The Record Newspaper

Pope Leo XIV speaks to journalists aboard a flight returning to Rome April 23, 2026, at the conclusion of his 11-day apostolic journey to Africa. (OSV News photo/Andrew Medichini, pool via Reuters) ABOARD THE PAPAL PLANE (OSV News) — Pope Leo XIV said on the papal plane April 23 that the Holy See does not approve of formalized blessings of same-sex couples, while stressing that Church unity “should not revolve around sexual matters” and that all…

Pope Leo: Holy See does not approve formalized blessings of same-sex unions, but 'all are welcome' in Church - The Dialog

ABOARD THE PAPAL PLANE — Pope Leo XIV said on the papal plane April 23 that the Holy See does not approve of formalized blessings of same-sex couples, while stressing that Church unity “should not revolve around sexual matters” and that all people are welcome in the Catholic Church. The pope made the remarks during a wide-ranging press conference on the return flight from Malabo, Equatorial Guinea, to Rome, where the papal plane touched down aft…