Pope Francis defends civil unions for gay couples
Pope Francis has said that homosexual couples should be protected by civil union laws, in what is being seen as some of the clearest language he has used on the rights of gay people.
“Homosexual people have a right to be in a family. They are children of God and have a right to a family. Nobody should be thrown out or be made miserable over it,” Francis said in a new documentary “Francesco” by Oscar-nominated director Evgeny Afineevsky.
“What we have to create is a civil union law. That way they are legally covered. I stood up for that,” he added.
The pope appeared to be referring to when he was archbishop of Buenos Aires and opposed legislation to approve same sex marriages but supported some kind of legal protection for the rights of gay couples.
Pope Francis gives support to same-sex civil unions
Pope Francis backs same-sex civil unions
Pope Francis has backed same-sex civil unions for the first time, calling for the partnerships to be protected by law.
“Homosexual people have the right to be in a family,” he said in a feature-length documentary. “They are children of God.”
However, he hasn’t deviated from the Catholic church’s opposition to gay marriage.
