What The Top Candidates For Pope Have Said About LGBTQ+ Rights

When Pope Francis passed away on Monday, he left behind a legacy as the church’s most compassionate leader when it came to LGBTQ+ parishioners. From a statement early in his tenure in which he said of queer Catholics, “Who am I to judge?” to his 2023 decision to bless same-sex couples, to his meetings with trans sex workers and assertion that trans people can be baptized, his papacy marked not just one watershed moment for LGBTQ+ Catholics, but a watershed era. 

Though his record was far from perfect—he often reaffirmed seeing both queerness and transness as inherent sins—the Pope was a critical ally at a time of growing hatred towards LGBTQ+ communities across the globe. In his wake, it’s uncertain whether church leaders will continue his legacy of progressive doctrine and outreach to marginalized communities, or whether they’ll pivot to a far more conservative direction. 

While the conclave—the secretive process by which the 252 Catholic Cardinals meet at the Vatican to elect the new pope—has not yet begun, the frontrunners to succeed Pope Francis have already emerged. Below, GO breaks down exactly where the top eight contenders stand when it comes to LGBTQ+ rights.

Cardinal Fridolin Ambongo Besungu

The Rundown: If selected, the 65-year-old Cardinal from the Democratic Republic of the Congo would be the first Pope from Africa. In some ways, that would continue Pope Francis’ legacy of diversifying church leadership. Francis, who was from Buenos Aires, Argentina, was the first non-European Pope since 741, though his ancestors hailed from Italy. Though Christians are a minority across the Congo region, Africa produces more seminarians than any other continent, and Pope Francis considered African church leaders essential to the church’s expansion. Besungu is considered one of the church’s strongest defenders of human rights and democracy.

What He’s Said On LGBTQ+ Rights: While progressive in his defense of human rights, Besungu has taken a hard-line stance against LGBTQ+ rights. He fiercely opposed Pope Francis’ decision to bless same-sex couples, saying in a 2024 interview that blessing same-sex couples was “a kind of Western imperialism,” and that encouraging African seminarians to take a pro-LGBTQ+ stance would be a form of “cultural colonization.” 

Cardinal Péter Erdő

The Rundown: Though Cardinal Erdő didn’t have as close of a relationship with Pope Francis as many of his fellow contenders, he’s well respected within the more conservative branch of the church, giving him a fighting chance at ascending. The 72-year-old from Budapest, Hungary was appointed Cardinal in 2002 by Pope John Paul II, and has broken with Pope Francis on several key issues. Most notably, he’s publicly stated that accepting refugees into European countries would be akin to “human trafficking.” However, CNN reports that his lack of charisma may quell his potential.

What He’s Said On LGBTQ+ Rights: 

Like most of his colleagues, Erdő is firmly against blessing same-sex marriages. In fact, he may be vaguely pro-conversion therapy—the Cardinal of Colleges Report says Erdő “favors pastoral support for those suffering same-sex attraction.” (Gay divorcees, look out: Erdő is one of several Cardinals to take a hard stance against allowing divorced Catholics—of any sexuality—to accept Communion.) 

Pietro Parolin

The Rundown: Parolin was Pope Francis’ second-in-command—in fact, just one day before his death, the Pope sent Parolin in his place to a meeting with JD Vance, where Parolin lectured the VP on compassion. He’s also expected to preside over the upcoming conclave (think Ralph Fiennes in the movie. I told you there were a lot of parallels). The 70 year old from Schiavon, Italy, was appointed Secretary of State of the Vatican by Pope Francis in 2013, and has served on the pope’s advisory council since 2014. Given his closeness to the Pope, he’s widely considered one of the frontrunners to succeed him.

What He’s Said On LGBTQ+ Rights: While Perolin is generally considered one of the more progressive contenders in this conclave, he’s previously distanced himself from the Pope’s stance on gay marriage. While Pope Francis approved blessings for same-sex couples—a watershed moment in Catholic doctrine—Perolin once called the legalization of gay marriage in Ireland a “defeat for humanity.” 

Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle 

The Rundown: This is actually the second intense conclave for Tagle, the 67-year-old Cardinal from Manila, Philippines sometimes called the “Asian Francis” by fans. Tagle was a serious contender in the 2013 conclave that saw Francis appointed, though at the time, he was considered too young. Tagle was another one of Pope Francis’ closest confidantes. Francis appointed Tagle prefect for the Vatican department of evangelization in 2019, which has allowed him to build relationships with seminarians across the Global South. Like Besungu, his appointment would mark a watershed moment in the church’s diversification—he’d be the first Asian pope in history, and the first of non-European descent in centuries. 

What He’s Said On LGBTQ+ Rights: In a perfect world (like Edward Berger’s Conclave), Luis Antonio Tagle would be a papal shoo-in. While many of Pope Francis’ allies broke from the Father when it came to blessing same-sex couples, Tagle was a rare holdout, agreeing that the church needed to revise its approach to the LGBTQ+ community. Tagle has publicly said the church needs to reform its “severe” socially conservative stances, which have left queer Catholics, divorcees, and single mothers feeling “branded.” He’s also said that when it comes to these communities, church leaders need to “relearn their own teachings on mercy.” 

Cardinal Christoph Schoenborn

The Rundown: Austrian Cardinal Christoph Schoenborn is a complicated figure. Though aligned with Pope Francis on many key issues, his closeness with Pope Benedict XVI—who appointed him a Cardinal in 1995—may help him appeal to the church’s more conservative wing. However, he’s also generated some controversy among his Vatican colleagues, as he has publicly criticized church leaders’ responses to past sex abuse scandals. 

A child of divorce, Schoenborn is the rare Cardinal to share Pope Francis’ empathetic stance towards divorcees, saying reaching out to divorced Catholics was an “organic development of doctrine.” He’s also publicly expressed support for expanding the role of women in the church by allowing them to serve as deacons. However, while he’s certainly still in the race, at 80, he may be considered too old for the papacy. (They really want someone in his 70s.)

What He’s Said On LGBTQ+ Rights: When it comes to LGBTQ+ parishioners, Schoenbron’s stance is…an interesting one. In 2015, Schoenbrun said the church should “recognize the good where it is found,” explaining that he supported civil ceremonies for same-sex couples because it is more pious than simply living together. 

However, he’s also called the Church’s “judgment about homosexual acts” a “necessary” stance. In 2021, he said he could not deny a same-sex couple their blessing if they asked him for one, but that he was “not happy” with Pope Francis’ decision to approve blessing them.

That said, he’s also stated the church “should not look in the bedroom first, but in the dining room! It must accompany people” and find paths for “healing [and] learning”—whatever that means. He also has gay friends, if you’re wondering.

Cardinal Joseph Tobin 

The Rundown: The Vatican has never elected an American Pope, but this conclave could change that. Joseph Tobin, a 72-year-old Cardinal from Detroit, MI, has made a name for himself serving in Newark, NJ, and Indianapolis, IN. That’s helped him build a lot of connections in the U.S. Plus, he speaks four languages—Spanish, Portuguese, French, and Italian—which could help him build steam among European cardinals. He’s not considered a frontrunner in this conclave, though he’s definitely still in the race.

What He’s Said On LGBTQ+ Rights: Another ally! In 2017, Tobin welcomed a “pilgrimage” of queer Catholics to his Newark cathedral for a special mass, telling the New York Times, he hoped his mass helped them feel welcome in the Catholic Church. 

“These are people that have not felt welcome in other places,” said Tobin. “My prayer for them is that they do. Today in the Catholic Church, we read a passage that says you have to be able to give a reason for your hope. And I’m praying that this pilgrimage for them, and really for the whole Church, is a reason for hope.” 

Tobin may not be a frontrunner, but he is ostensibly the most pro-LGBTQ+ contender. In 2019, Tobin told NBC that it should be “without debate” for the Church to welcome LGBTQ+ parishioners. He’s even publicly broken from the Catechism of the Catholic Church, which calls homosexuality “intrinsically disordered,” saying on the Today Show, “I don’t call them ‘intrinsically disordered’…Let’s hope that eventually that language is a little less hurtful.” 

He also publicly supported Jesuit priest Father James Martin’s 2019 book Building a Bridge, a public call to action for the Catholic Church to revise its stance on LGBTQ+ parishioners. He called the book an “essential step in inviting church leaders to minister with more compassion, and in reminding LGBT Catholics that they are as much a part of our church as any other Catholic.” 

Cardinal Matteo Zuppi 

The Rundown: A close friend and confidant of Pope Francis, the 69-year-old Italian sometimes known to fans as “Don Matteo” is considered another frontrunner for this year’s conclave. After elevating Zuppi to Cardinal status in 2015, Francis later made him the special envoy for Ukraine matters in 2023. He’s long been instrumental in the church’s international outreach during times of conflict. In 1992, he was a crucial negotiator in the Rome General Peace Accords that helped end the civil war in Mozambique.

Like Francis, Zuppi is considered incredibly progressive within the church. He’s publicly spoken out in favor of abolishing the death penalty, “rejecting hate,” and engaging with the concerns of those from other religions. He’s also encouraged the church to reach out to poor and marginalized communities. Because of his outreach to these communities, he’s sometimes called the “street priest.” 

What He’s Said On LGBTQ+ Rights: 

Zuppi is a longtime supporter of the former pope’s efforts to reach out to LGBTQ+ communities and has publicly said that the Catholic church should show LGBTQ+ Catholics “the same dignity that God would show them.” 

The conclave is expected to begin May 6, after Pope Francis’ funeral this Saturday. It is expected to last about a week, but will continue until a consensus is reached and a new pope is chosen.