Pope reiterates support for civil unions

A documentary that premiered at the Rome Film Festival on Wednesday included Pope Francis speaking in support of legal civil unions for homosexual couples. “Homosexual people have the right to be in a family. They are children of God,” he said in an interview for Francesco, a documentary about his time as pope. “What we have to have is a civil union law; that way they are legally covered.”

Is the Catholic Church changing its approach to marriage? Francis’ views on legal civil unions—which he previously expressed while archbishop of Buenos Aires—differ from those of previous popes, but he hasn’t changed Catholic doctrine that marriage is between one man and one woman. The National Catholic Reporter said Francis has suggested civil unions as a way to provide benefits to same-sex couples while distinguishing civil unions from marriage.

Dig deeper: Read Kyle Ziemnick’s report in The Sift about the Vatican’s 2019 statement for Catholic educators reaffirming Catholic teachings about biological sex and gender.