Pope Francis said same-sex couples should be covered by a civil union law
- Pope Francis said he supports a civil union law for same-sex couples, according to the Catholic News Agency.
- In a documentary about his life and ministry that debuted in Rome on Wednesday, Pope Francis said believes same-sex couples should be "legally covered."
- "Homosexuals have a right to be a part of the family," Pope Francis said in the documentary. "They're children of God and have a right to a family. Nobody should be thrown out, or be made miserable because of it."
Pope Francis said he supports the civil union law of same-sex couples in a new documentary that debuted in Rome on Wednesday.
The documentary "Francesco," which will premiere in the US on Sunday, reflects on Pope Francis' life and ministry and role on social issues including LGBTQ rights, according to the Catholic News Agency.
"Homosexuals have a right to be a part of the family," Pope Francis said in the documentary. "They're children of God and have a right to a family. Nobody should be thrown out, or be made miserable because of it."
The Catholic community has historically opposed giving LGBTQ individuals equal rights under the law, but Pope Francis went on to say that same-sex couples should be "legally covered."
"What we have to create is a civil union law. That way they are legally covered," Pope Francis said. "I stood up for that."
"This is the first time as pope he's making such a clear statement," Rev. James Martin, a Jesuit priest who received criticism for his pro-LGBTQ rights stance, told The Washington Post. "I think it's a big step forward. In the past, even civil unions were frowned upon in many quarters of the church. He is putting his weight behind legal recognition of same-sex civil unions."
Pope Francis is viewed as taking a modern approach to his role and promoting progressive reform in the Catholic Church— making a way for those who have been shunned from the community.
"If someone is gay, and he searches for the Lord and has goodwill, who am I to judge?" Pope Francis said, according to the New York Times. His stance differs greatly from his predecessor, Pope Benedict, who called homosexuality "an intrinsic moral evil."