In a ground-breaking move, Pope Francis has given his endorsement and backing of same-sex unions.
The 83-year-old’s historic statement was made during an interview in the documentary titled: Francesco, which premiered at the Rome Film Festival on Wednesday.
“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,” The Pope stated.
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“What we have to create is a civil union law. That way they are legally covered. I stood up for that,” he added.
Previously opposing same-sex unions, the Pope’s comments are being described as a substantial break from not only his own previous comments but also from the church’s official position.
According to reports by the Catholic News Agency, the Pope stated in his 2013 book titled: On Heaven and Earth that he condemned laws “assimilating” same-sex relationships to marriage as “an anthropological regression.”
He also stated his concern that same-sex couples gaining the right to form unions and adopt could “affect children.”
“Every person needs a male father and a female mother that can help them shape their identity,” he added.
Despite his inconsistent comments, Pope Francis’ latest statement has been hailed as a great step forward, however, LGBT+ rights groups are also quick to highlight the Pope’s staunch opposition to the Trans community, notably in 2015 when According to the National Catholic Reporter he described the community as a threat and compared trans people to nuclear war and genetic manipulation.
Last Updated on Oct 22, 2020
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