What Has "Liberal" Pope Leo XIV Said Publicly About Climate Change?

Pope Leo XIV, formerly known as Robert Prevost, was named as newly elected pope on May 8, 2025. As the underdog of the election, not many people knew much about Pope Leo before he was selected as the next head of the Catholic church. This left many people scrambling to learn as much as they could about him, including Pope Leo XIV's views on climate change.

Fortunately, you won't have to go very far to find out how the new pontiff feels about the state of the environment (and other topics), because he's actually been quite vocal about his beliefs over the years.

Keep reading to learn more about Pope Leo XIV's views on the climate.

Much like Pope Francis before him, Pope Leo believes that climate change is an urgent issue. In 2024, The Vatican News reported that Pope Leo spoke about the state of the climate during a seminar, telling attendees that it was time to move away "from words to action."

He also reportedly said that humans needed to avoid being tyrannical with the environment, and that they should instead of a "relationship of reciprocity."

Not only that, but the pope has also warned his followers about some technological developments that could become "harmful" to the environment, and instead gushed over some of the steps the Vatican was taking to be more mindful about their energy consumption, which included relying on solar panels and electric cars for Vatican buildings and employees.

It's hard to definitively state whether the pope is conservative or liberal, considering his values can be seen as lying on both sides of the aisle. However, those who know him have described him as being the best of both worlds, with Reverend Michele Falcone telling the New York Times that Leo was the "dignified middle of the road."

Pope Leo has been described as an outspoken advocate when it comes to things like social justice issues and criminal reform, however it seems as though his views on LGBTQ rights may not be as progressive, according to NBC News.

That being said, when the pope was given the opportunity to choose his new name, he went with Leo in a nod to Leo XIII, who was known for taking a more modern approach to the church when he served as the head from 1878 to 1903.

That gives some the idea that he's going to follow in the original Leo's footsteps, and that could involve trying to soften the church's stance on those hot button issues that many deem liberal.

That being said, there are those on both side of ready to claim the pope as part of their party and ready to disown him. Only time will tell how Leo is remembered, and whether future Catholics feel that he skewed more left or right when looking back at his reign.

For now, many people are just excited to know that there's finally an American sitting in the most respected seat in the Catholic church.