The Truth of the Human Person—Male and Female: Pope Leo XIV’s Unyielding Stand

On May 8, 2025, Cardinal Robert Prevost, a 69-year-old Chicago native and missionary in Peru, was elected Pope Leo XIV, the first American pontiff to lead the Catholic Church’s 1.4 billion faithful, as reported by ABC News and Vatican News. Known for his Augustinian roots and global perspective, Leo XIV chose a name echoing Pope Leo XIII, a defender of natural law who stood firm against modernity’s moral drift. Just days into his papacy, on May 11, Leo XIV addressed crowds in St. Peter’s Square, calling for peace in Ukraine and Gaza but also signaling his resolve to uphold Church doctrine, per NPR and The New York Times. At a UN summit on "Global Inclusivity" earlier that week, progressive leaders pushed for gender fluidity in education, but Leo, a centrist with a traditionalist streak, wasn’t there to compromise. He saw the left’s agenda as a direct assault on God’s design, and he wasn’t about to let it slide.

During his first Mass as pope on May 9 in the Sistine Chapel, reported by Reuters, Leo XIV warned against a world where “the Christian faith is considered absurd, meant for the weak,” a jab at secular progressives who champion self-defined identities over divine truth. Sources like The Atlantic note that his choice of name reflects a commitment to Leo XIII’s legacy—upholding the immutable nature of the human person as male and female, not a spectrum of feelings. “The left wants to erase Genesis with their gender theories, but God’s truth doesn’t bend to your social experiments,” Leo declared in an unscripted moment at the summit, his voice cutting through the room like a blade. Vatican insiders, per CNN, describe him as “calm and balanced” but clear on what needs to be done, and he’s already backed a decree banning gender-neutral language in Catholic schools, a move that has liberals clutching their pearls.

Pope Leo XIV’s stance isn’t just talk—it’s a battle cry for the Church to reclaim its moral authority, as highlighted in his May 12 address to journalists, where he urged a “communication of peace” but refused to soften doctrine, per The New York Times. His Augustinian roots, emphasizing “truth, unity, and love,” give him the backbone to confront the left’s relativism head-on, as noted by NPR. While progressives like those at the UN summit push for “inclusivity” that denies biology, Leo XIV doubles down: “Male and female He created them—deal with it.” He’s not here to build bridges to falsehoods, and his early actions show he’ll fight to protect the Church’s teachings, even if it means ruffling feathers in Portland or Geneva. As the left scrambles to redefine humanity, Leo XIV smirks from the Vatican, whispering a truth they can’t escape: “You can rewrite your pronouns, but you can’t rewrite God’s blueprint—checkmate, snowflakes.”