VATICAN CITY (RNS) – On Sunday (Sept. 14), the Catholic news website Crux published excerpts of Pope Leo XIV’s first extended interview with any media outlet, giving the first look at his perspective on the papacy and the challenges facing the church and society. Leo talked about his concerns about income inequality, polarization and the need for peace.
“We have to continue to remind ourselves of the potential that humanity has to overcome the violence and the hatred that is just dividing us more and more,” Leo said in the interview. “We live in times when polarization seems to be one of the words of the day, but it’s not helping anybody. Or if it’s helping anyone, it’s very few when everyone else is suffering.”
The interview, conducted over two sessions in recent weeks and published on the his 70th birthday, offer a first glimpse into Leo’s personality and priorities. In his conversation with Crux’s senior Vatican correspondent, Elise Ann Allen, Leo signaled continuity with his predecessor Pope Francis and the late pontiff’s vision for dialogue and full participation in the church, known as synodality.
Already positioning himself as a pope of reconciliation, Leo reflected on the reasons behind the deep polarization in society and the church today. He pointed to t …