Pope Francis Just Supported Civil Unions for Same-Sex Couples
Pope Francis just made his strongest statement yet in support of the LGBTQIA+ community.
In a new documentary that debuted in Rome on October 21, the pope spoke in favor of civil unions for same-sex couples, a position that's seemingly in opposition with the rest of the Roman Catholic Church.
“What we have to create is a civil union law. That way they are legally covered,” Pope Francis said to the director of Francesco, Evgeny Afineevsky, per the New York Times. “I stood up for that.”
“Homosexuals have a right to be a part of the family,” he also said in the documentary, per American Magazine. “They’re children of God and have a right to a family. Nobody should be thrown out or be made miserable because of it.”
These are not Pope Francis's first favorable remarks toward the LGBTQ+ community, but they do continue to stand in stark contrast with the church's history. Back in 2003, as the Times reports, the church's Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith spoke out against legal recognition for same-sex unions, writing, “The Church teaches that respect for homosexual persons cannot lead in any way to approval of homosexual behavior or to legal recognition of homosexual unions.” The pope at the time was Pope John Paul II.
Matteo Bruni, a spokesman for the Vatican, reportedly declined to comment to the Times until he had seen the movie and the pope’s remarks. But that hasn't stopped the internet from having thoughts.
“As someone who grew up in the Catholic Church, I'm not sure I ever thought I'd see the day,” one user tweeted on October 21.
Meanwhile, some recognized how much more work needs to be done within the church. “Congratulations to Pope Francis and the Catholic Church,” one user tweeted. “Welcome to the 1990s!”
Originally Appeared on Glamour
