“It is the responsibility of government leaders to work to build harmonious and peaceful civil societies,” the pope told the audience. “This can be achieved above all by investing in the family, founded upon the stable union between a man and a woman, ‘a small but genuine society, and prior to all civil society.’”

“In addition, no one is exempted from striving to ensure respect for the dignity of every person, especially the most frail and vulnerable, from the unborn to the elderly, from the sick to the unemployed, citizens and immigrants alike,” he continued.

The explicit mention of male-female relationships as the foundation of families and the injustice of harming the unborn seems to firmly settle the question of whether such topics were open for negotiation during his reign.

It’s a blow to the liberal, reformist bloc of Catholic clerics and faithful. This contingency is often represented at the upper echelons of the Vatican by cardinals from continental Europe, most notably the Germans.

Leo XIV centered his address on three “essential words that represent the pillars of the Church’s missionary activity and the aim of the Holy See’s diplomacy … truth, justice, and peace.”

In addition to touching upon perennial pillars of Catholic social teaching, he circled back to his selection of a papal name — a reference in honor of Pope Leo XIII, the last pope of the 19th century.

Leo XIII’s navigation of the Industrial Revolution and the collapse of feudal-era political systems served as a guide for Leo XIV’s approach to uniquely modern problems the Catholic Church now faces. At the forefront of his mind is technological advancement, ecological concerns, and the question of mass migration.

He proposes that these issues cannot be conceived of as abstract problems demanding political theory but as concrete realities that require a confrontation with truth.

“From the Christian perspective, truth is not the affirmation of abstract and disembodied principles, but an encounter with the person of Christ himself, alive in the midst of the community of believers,” Leo XIV said Friday.

He added, “Truth, then, does not create division, but rather enables us to confront all the more resolutely the challenges of our time, such as migration, the ethical use of artificial intelligence, and the protection of our beloved planet Earth. These are challenges that require commitment and cooperation on the part of all since no one can think of facing them alone.”

Migration has been a cornerstone of the pope’s rhetoric on social justice thus far, and he explained his relationship with the crisis during the diplomatic audience.

“My own story is that of a citizen, the descendant of immigrants, who in turn chose to emigrate,” he said. “All of us, in the course of our lives, can find ourselves healthy or sick, employed or unemployed, living in our native land or in a foreign country, yet our dignity always remains unchanged: It is the dignity of a creature willed and loved by God.”

Leo XIV noted that the Vatican has received an outpouring of messages expressing congratulations on his election and condolences on Pope Francis’s passing.

TRUMP ‘WOULD LIKE’ TO DISCUSS IMMIGRATION WITH ‘SURPRISE CHOICE’ POPE LEO

He expressed appreciation that some of these communications came from countries with which the Holy See does not have diplomatic relations,” which he saw as “a significant sign of esteem that indicates a strengthening of mutual relations.”

Leo XIV’s inaugural mass will take place this weekend in Vatican City. Dozens of world leaders, including Vice President JD Vance, will attend.