VATICAN CITY (AP) — Pope Leo XIV affirmed Friday that the family is established as the “stable relationship between a man and a woman,” and that children and the elderly enjoy dignity as creatures of God, articulating clear Catholic teaching on marriage and abortion at the beginning of his pontificate. Leo, the first American pope, also called for revitalizing multilateral diplomacy and promoting interreligious dialogue in the search for peace. This was the first meeting with the Vatican’s diplomatic corps. The meeting was private, but the Vatican published the text prepared by Leo and that of the members of the diplomatic corps. The ceremony is part of the protocol requirements following the conclave, allowing the new Pope to greet world government representatives before his formal investiture Mass this Sunday. The Holy See is a sovereign state governed by international law, maintains diplomatic relations with more than 180 countries, and enjoys observer status with United Nations bodies. Leo, a member of the Augusta religious order, has emphasized peace as a priority of his pontificate, from the first words he spoke in the lodge of St. Peter’s Basilica after his election on May 8, “Peace be with you all.”

In his comments, he affirmed that the pursuit of peace was one of the pillars of the papacy. He insisted that peace is not just the solution to conflict, but rather that it requires work, from the creation of a new world to the manufacture of weapons and the careful choice of words.

“Because words, too, and not only weapons, can hurt and even kill.”

He said it is the responsibility of governments to build peaceful societies “above all by investing in the family, founded on the stable relationship between man and woman.”

“Furthermore, no one is exempt from striving to guarantee respect for the dignity of all people, especially the most fragile and vulnerable. From workers to the elderly, from the sick to employees, citizens and migrants alike,” he said.

Pope Francis strongly reaffirmed fundamental Catholic teaching that opposes abortion and stasis, stating that it was evidence of the current “throwaway culture.” But he also made outreach to LGBTQ+ Catholics a hallmark. He insisted that they are welcome in the Church. He changed Church doctrine, which defines marriage as between men and women and homosexual acts as “tripartitely disordered.”

As leader of the Order of Augustine, the Reverend Robert Prevost criticized the “homosexual lifestyle” and the role of the media in promoting acceptance of same-sex relationships, which contradicted Catholic doctrine. A decade later, During the papacy of Francis, he recognized his call to the more inclusive church and stated that he did not want people excluded solely because of their lifestyle.