Pope Francis endorses civil unions because same-sex couples “have a right to a family”

Pope Francis
Photo: Wikimedia Commons

Pope Francis, head of the Catholic Church, has a reputation for being progressive, despite normally couching his language in vague or convoluted manners. But in a new documentary making waves in Italy, the Pope was much more direct: he supports some rights for LGBTQ people.

Nations should recognize civil unions for same-sex couples, he said, because they “have a right to a family.”

Related: Is Pope Francis pro-LGBTQ or not? The Church doesn’t know either.

This isn’t the first time that the Pope has indicated his support for civil unions while still opposing full marriage equality, but it is the most direct.

“Homosexuals have a right to be a part of the family. They’re children of God and have a right to a family. Nobody should be thrown out, or be made miserable because of it,” Francis said in the film, speaking on his approach to pastoral care of congregants.

“What we have to create is a civil union law. That way they are legally covered,” he added. “I stood up for that.”

In a 2017 book, the Pope was quoted as saying, “Marriage between people of the same sex…

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