Pope Francis of the Roman Catholic Church has expressed support for the civil unions of gay couples in an interview with the documentary “Francesco”, which premiered on Wednesday at the Rome Film Festival.
Francis expresses his support for same-sex couples in the midst of a film devoted to topics important to the pope, including environmental issues, poverty, migration, racial and income inequality, and the people who suffer most from discrimination.
“Homosexuals have the right to be in a family. They are children of God, ”says the pope in one of the film’s interviews. “What we need is a civil union law. In this way, they will be legally protected. “
Francis, while still the archbishop of Buenos Aires, had already expressed support for civil unions for gay couples as an alternative to same-sex marriage.
However, as a pope, he did not publicly support civil unions.
Jesuit priest James Martin, known for his efforts to improve relations with homosexuals in the church, hailed the pope’s remarks as “a major step forward in the church’s support for the LGBT community.”
“The Pope’s positive statements about civil unions send a strong message to places where the church is in opposition to such laws,” Martin said in a statement.
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